Forever and Always
by erm31323
Summary: Sequel to Maybe - As Oliver, Grace and Annie settle into becoming a family, obstacles keep popping up, threatening their happiness.  Will they all make it through?  Begins after the movie ends.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - This is a sequel to my previous story Maybe. I recommend reading that one first as there are some story lines I've continued into this one that may not make sense otherwise. I hope to post chapters weekly. Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Annie or any of its characters.**

Grace Farrell sat at her dressing table in her slip, pulling her hair up into a fancy twist. When she finished, she sat and looked at herself in the mirror, butterflies in her stomach. The last week had been a whirlwind of activity, planning a wedding that most people took months to do, in only seven days. Not to mention the other task she had undertaken, unbeknownst to Oliver. Grace had been so busy, there had been little time to think about anything, but now that the day was actually here, she had done nothing but think. Though this was a day that she had dreamed about for a very long time, she was more than a little nervous. She wished again that her mother could have been with her.

Grace thought of her parents often, but it had been years since she felt their loss this poignantly. Her father died when she was 19, from a sudden heart attack. Her mother had followed only a year later, from a broken heart more than anything, Grace knew. Grace had come along late in their lives, for a long time they thought they would never be able to have children. Though they adored and doted on their only child, Grace knew that the love the two of them had shared had been something special, deep and powerful. Something that Grace had only dreamed about finding, but now that she had, she wanted nothing more than to be able to share it with them. A tear made it's way slowly down her cheek, as she pictured herself walking down the aisle on her father's arm, her mother's face beaming with pride as she watched.

"Now, now, what's all this? There's no room for sadness on a day like today," Grace heard from the door, as Helen Pugh stepped into the room. She came up behind Grace, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"Thinking about your mother, are you?" Helen asked quietly. Grace could only nod over the lump in her throat.

"Well, I know I'm not her," Helen continued, "But, I'd like to help you, if you'll have me." Grace stood and turned, embracing the shorter woman tightly.

"I'd like that very much," she said, her voice shaky, a few more tears escaping from her eyes. Helen patted her back, then pulled away and put a hand to her cheek.

"Come then," Helen said with a smile. "Let's dry those tears and get you ready."

A little while later, Grace was dressed and putting the finishing touches on her make-up. Helen smiled at her in the mirror, as Grace dabbed a bit of perfume on her neck.

"You look beautiful, Grace," she beamed. Grace returned her smile, blushing a bit at the compliment. "Now, do you have everything?"

"What do you mean?" Grace asked, confused.

"You know the poem, something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue," Helen replied.

"Oh, well, I hadn't really thought about it," Grace confessed. "It's just a silly poem, after all."

"Silly poem?" Helen protested, her hands on her hips. "Why, it's a wedding tradition, it brings good luck." Grace chuckled. She had never been one to believe in superstition or luck. Still, Helen looked quite serious about it, so she supposed it wouldn't hurt to play along.

"Well, all right," Grace replied. "Let's see, my dress is new, oh and I'm wearing the earrings my father gave my mother for their wedding day, so that covers the something old. And this can be my something blue." Grace opened a blue box from Tiffany's, Helen gasping as she did so. Inside, lay a necklace with a sparkling heart-shaped sapphire pendant, surrounded by tiny diamonds. Oliver had given it to Grace the night before, telling her that the sapphire reminded him of her eyes and the heart a reminder that she held his, forever and always. Grace smiled as she thought of it.

"It's gorgeous, Grace," Helen breathed. Grace nodded, taking it gingerly from the box.

"Will you help me with it, please?" she asked Helen. Helen nodded, taking the necklace and fastening it around Grace's neck.

"Now then, you just need something borrowed," Helen said.

"Well, I don't know where I'm going to get that now," Grace answered. "I guess three of the four will just have to do."

"Nonsense," Helen insisted. She then pulled something out of the pocket of her dress and gave it to Grace. It was wrapped in a cloth and Grace opened it carefully. Inside, was a set of ivory combs, small gems inset into the edges. Grace looked up at Helen questioningly.

"I wore those in my hair the day I got married," Helen explained. "I intended to pass them on to my daughter, but then I ended up with my three boys. I thought perhaps one of their wives might use them, but they all had things from their own mothers." Helen shrugged. "I want you to have them Grace, you know you're like a daughter to me." She placed a hand on Grace's shoulder and squeezed gently. Grace looked at Helen, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

"I'd be honored to wear them," Grace said. "But, I can't keep them Helen." Helen looked at her, surprised. "I'll borrow them, and then you set them aside for that new granddaughter of yours." Grace smiled and winked. Helen's oldest son and his wife had just had their second child a few weeks before, a little girl. It was her first granddaughter, after four grandsons, and Grace knew Helen was enamored with her.

"All right," Helen agreed. "Let me help you with these and your veil." As Helen affixed the veil to Grace's head, they both heard a commotion at the door and Annie burst in, Cecile at her heels.

"I'm sorry Miss Farrell, she insisted on seeing you," Cecile apologized as Annie flung herself into Grace's arms.

"It's all right, Cecile," Grace replied. "I wanted to see her too." Cecile nodded, stepping out and closing the door. Grace hugged the little girl tightly, then sat back from her, taking Annie's hands.

"Now, let me look at you," Grace said, as Annie took a few steps back. She wore a long white dress, accented with a blue sash around her waist and white mary janes. It was simple, but adorable.

"You look wonderful, sweetheart," Grace said, smiling broadly. Annie beamed with pride, then seemed to look carefully at Grace for the first time since she had entered the room. Her mouth dropped open as she took in the sight of Grace in her dress and veil.

"Mom, you look so pretty," Annie breathed. A little thrill went through Grace at Annie's words. Annie had been calling her mom for a week now, but it still delighted Grace every time she heard it.

"Thank you, Annie," Grace replied, giving her another small squeeze. "Are you all ready for today?"

"Yep, I practiced and everything," Annie said enthusiastically. "Cecile is holding my basket, so I don't spill it." Grace laughed at Annie's excitement.

"I know you'll do wonderfully." Grace grinned at the little girl, then rose to gather her own bouquet. She took one last look at herself in the mirror as a small knock sounded on the door.

"That will be Punjab, I expect," Helen said, crossing the room and peeking out the door. Punjab had agreed to escort Grace down the aisle, for which Grace was grateful. She knew if anyone could keep her steady, it was Punjab. Helen opened the door to admit the bodyguard, then turned to Annie.

"Come along, dear," she said, holding out a hand for Annie to take. "Let's get you all ready downstairs." Annie smiled at Grace once more before taking Mrs. Pugh's hand and following her downstairs.

"Miss Grace, you look most lovely," Punjab said, bowing, then offering Grace his right arm. She blushed, slipping her arm through his as he led her from the room.

"Has my surprise arrived?" Grace asked, as they made their way to the staircase.

"Yes, just, with the Asp," Punjab replied, smirking at her.

"And Oliver doesn't know?" Grace asked.

"No, Sahib has been in his study, until just a few moments ago," Punjab assured her. Grace smiled, hoping that Oliver would appreciate what she had done. Although there was a small part of her that feared he would be upset. Grace sighed, and Punjab looked at her questioningly.

"Did I do the right thing, do you think?" Grace asked him, biting her lip.

"To that I cannot say, but I have never seen Sahib so happy, as this last few days, surrounded by his family," Punjab replied, emphasizing the word family. Grace nodded, what's done is done, she thought to herself as she and Punjab reached the bottom of the stairs, taking a turn toward the back terrace.

As they came around the corner, Grace spotted Annie standing in the doorway, waiting for Cecile to send her on her way. The guests were all seated on the lawn in front of the terrace, Oliver and the minister waiting at the end of the aisle. Grace smiled as she saw Oliver, he was watching Annie and hadn't noticed Grace's arrival. Cecile glanced back as Grace and Punjab stopped a few feet behind Annie, then nodded to the small orchestra seated on the terrace. The music began and Annie started her slow march down the aisle, concentrating mightily on the flower petals she was plucking from her basket and dropping to the ground. Then, as the music changed, Grace's stomach did another small flip-flop. Punjab gave her hand a squeeze and the two stepped out of the doorway onto the terrace and began their own walk toward Oliver.

* * *

><p>Oliver smiled as he watched Annie drop the petals carefully and precisely, every other step. He chuckled at the expression on her face, so focused was she on her task. And then the music changed and Oliver looked up as the guests rose and turned to the rear. The sight that met his eyes took his breath away. Grace very nearly floated down the aisle, the necklace he had given her sparkling in the sun. His gaze locked with hers and a wide smile spread across her face. He found himself unable to smile back, he was so taken with how beautiful she looked, he could only stare, open-mouthed. As they reached him, Punjab took Grace's hand, kissing the back of it before he bowed to Oliver and placed Grace's hand in his. Oliver finally composed himself, squeezing Grace's hand and winking before turning to face the minister.<p>

The ceremony proceeded, but Oliver couldn't have told anyone what was said, he was too busy studying his bride from the corner of his eye. He could not seem to stop looking at her, not even for a second, and it was hard to pay attention to anything else but her. Grace seemed to sense his stare and inclined her head slightly toward him, giving him a small smirk. Oliver had to bite his lip to keep from laughing out loud, as she gestured with her eyes toward the minister and raised her eyebrows, silently admonishing Oliver to pay attention.

Then they turned to face one another, Oliver forcing himself to listen closely, as he repeated his vows after the minister. Grace's eyes shone, her smile wider than Oliver thought possible, as he pledged his love to her. And as he heard the same words from her, his heart soared and he could not help the grin that broke out over his own face. Once they had exchanged the rings, the minister blessed them and then presented them to the crowd. Oliver kissed Grace softly, then hugged her to him.

"Forever and always," he whispered in her ear, then pulled back to look at her. She nodded, placing a hand against his cheek, before kissing him gently in return. And then the guests began to clap and cheer, Grace laughing aloud as Oliver led her back down the aisle and onto the terrace.

* * *

><p>They stood and greeted everyone, accepting congratulations and hugs from their staff and few friends they had invited. Oliver had hired wait staff and caterers for the wedding, so everyone on the staff could enjoy themselves. Something Mrs. Pugh was none to happy about, she never liked having her kitchen invaded. In fact, as Grace searched the crowd without seeing her, she knew that Helen was back in the kitchen right now, ordering everyone about. Grace chuckled quietly, feeling a bit sorry for the caterers.<p>

Annie rushed up to Grace as Oliver greeted a business associate, hugging her tightly round the waist.

"Mom, did you watch me? Did I do a good job?" Annie gushed, looking up at Grace.

"Yes, dear, you did a wonderful job," Grace replied, leaning down and kissing Annie atop her head.

"A wonderful job, indeed," Oliver concurred, swinging the little girl up into his arms, laughing as she giggled. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone do quite such a perfect job, as a matter of fact."

"Daddy Warbucks," Annie said, giggling louder. "I'm the only flower girl you've seen."

"Oh, not true, my dear, not true," Oliver argued. "I've been to plenty of weddings in my time and I've never seen such a perfect flower girl." He kissed her cheek, putting an arm around Grace, just as the photographer snapped a picture. Grace sighed contentedly, laying her head against Oliver's shoulder and smiling up at Annie as the photographer snapped away.

As the last of the guests greeted Oliver and Grace, Grace began to search the crowd for the one face she had not yet seen. She had noticed the woman seated in the last row when Grace had come down the aisle, but now she was nowhere to be found. Grace frowned, looking around once more, then decided to check in the house.

"I'll be right back, darling," she said to Oliver. "I just need to check on something."

"Don't be long," he replied, kissing her on the cheek. She nodded, then gathered up her skirts and made her way through the crowd on the terrace and into the house. Grace looked in the library, the dining room and the solarium and had almost given up when she saw someone walking toward the front door.

"Wait," Grace called out, hurrying after her. The woman turned at Grace's call, then shook her head and continued toward the door.

"Please, Elizabeth, wait," Grace said again, walking as quickly as she could manage in her dress. The woman reached the door and turned the knob. She stopped for a moment, then sighed and turned back to Grace.

"Why are you leaving?" Grace asked. "You haven't even seen Oliver yet."

"I know," Elizabeth said quietly. "I intended too, I really did. But when I actually started over to the two of you, I just." She trailed off, shaking her head. Grace put a hand on her arm.

"Please," Grace said. "I know he would be thrilled to see you." I hope, Grace added to herself.

"I'm sorry, Grace," Elizabeth replied. "It was a beautiful wedding and it was wonderful to see him so happy again. But it's been too long, too much has happened, I'm not sure what there even is to say. Thank you for inviting me, but, I just can't. I'm sorry." With that, she turned and walked out the front door, leaving a stunned Grace in her wake.

* * *

><p>Oliver searched the crowd once again for Grace, still not finding her anywhere. He frowned, glancing at his watch, wondering what had happened. She had said she just needed to take care of something, but that had been nearly twenty minutes ago and she still hadn't returned. He wasn't sure what she could possibly be checking on. The chairs had been moved from their rows and now surrounded small tables scattered around the lawn. The food had all been brought out and waiters were moving through the crowd with glasses of champagne. The orchestra was ready to begin playing their first dance, but Oliver needed to find his bride first. He finally excused himself from the conversation that was going on around him, leaving Annie with Cecile, and went into the house to search for Grace.<p>

He checked the kitchens first, but was immediately ejected by a harassed looking Mrs. Pugh, who was mumbling under her breath about incompetent servers and messy cooks. Oliver couldn't help but chuckle. He looked in the solarium and the library, but Grace was nowhere to be found. Growing concerned, Oliver made his way toward the front of the house and saw Grace talking to a woman, who quickly departed, leaving Grace standing motionless in the doorway. A flicker of recognition crossed Oliver's face as he saw the woman, but he couldn't quite place her. Brow furrowing, he searched his memory to try and attach a name to the face, as he walked toward Grace to find out what was going on.

"Please, wait," Oliver heard Grace call, as she took a step out the door. Oliver hurried to her side, placing a hand on her arm.

"Grace, what is it?" he asked, puzzled. Grace started when he touched her arm, turning to him gasping. "Are you all right?" he asked, concerned now.

"Oh, Oliver, I'm sorry, I," she began, but then paused, turning to look once more at the woman who was now climbing into a taxi. "I'll explain everything, I promise, but I have to stop her." Grace picked up her skirts and flew down the stairs toward the taxi. Oliver stared at her in shock, then gathered himself and followed Grace quickly, still trying to remember who the mystery woman was. Grace reached the taxi before he did, wrenching open the door before it could pull away and sticking her head in to talk to the woman inside. As Oliver reached Grace's side, he caught another glimpse of the woman's face and something finally clicked in his brain. He stopped, eyes wide, mouth open, as he stared at the woman in the taxi.

"It can't be," he whispered quietly. The woman seemed to finally come to a decision. She gave the taxi driver some money, then stepped carefully from the car, closing the door. She looked down at her feet as the taxi drove away. After a moment, she raised her head, locking her gaze with Oliver's.

"Hello, Oliver. It's been a long time."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N - Sorry for the evil cliffhanger last chapter! Here is the answer you've been waiting for. **

For a moment, Oliver could do nothing but stare. It's not possible, he thought to himself. This woman could not be standing in front of him, when he knew for a fact that she was dead. The seconds ticked by, neither of them saying anything, simply staring at one another, until finally Grace broke the silence.

"Why don't we go back inside," she suggested. "Perhaps to the library, where the two of you can talk?" She took Oliver's arm and gently tugged, until Oliver fell in step beside her, his mind continuing to try and process what was happening. The trio entered the library, Grace closing the door behind them. The woman sat down in one of the armchairs, folding her hands in her lap. Grace towed Oliver to the couch across from the woman, pulling him down to sit beside her.

"I know this is a shock," Grace began. "Perhaps I should have warned you, but, I wanted it to be a surprise." She looked at Oliver, but he only gave her a passing glance, his eyes still affixed to the woman across from him. He felt as if he were looking at a ghost and he barely suppressed the shudder that threatened to escape him.

"Oliver, you look as if you've seen a ghost," the woman said, smiling nervously. As she spoke, he continued to gaze at her and his brow furrowed. She looked much younger than he would have expected and her eyes were not quite the right shade of green. As a matter of fact, they were more brown than green. And her hair wasn't right either, it was much darker than Oliver remembered. As she looked up and smiled at him once more, the last piece of the puzzle finally slid into place and Oliver gasped.

"Elizabeth?" he asked, barely above a whisper.

"I know it's been a long time, but I never thought you wouldn't recognize your own sister," she replied.

"You look so much like Mother," Oliver said quietly. "For a moment, I thought," he broke off, shaking his head, reddening slightly. It was Elizabeth's turn to stare in shock, before she gathered herself.

"So I've heard," she said, nodding. "Peter used to tell me that all the time." She gave Oliver a sad smile, as he looked down at his feet. Grace put a hand on his arm, and he looked up at her, smiling and covering her hand with his own.

"I'll let the two of you catch up," Grace said, rising from the couch. "I should get back to our guests." Oliver stood and excused himself for a moment, then followed Grace to the library door.

"I'll be along shortly," he said, giving her a weak smile. Grace brought a hand to his face, cupping his cheek.

"I'm sorry, Oliver," she said. "Maybe I should have waited, or asked you, or" He put a finger to her lips, shaking his head.

"No, do not feel badly about this. I'm glad that you did this," he insisted. "Just a bit of a surprise, that's all." He smiled, then kissed her quickly, walking back into the library.

"Oliver, I shouldn't be interrupting your wedding day," Elizabeth insisted, as Oliver sat back down. "Please, go and enjoy your guests, we can get together another time." She began to rise from the chair, but Oliver put a hand on her arm.

"Please," he said, indicating the chair. "Please stay." She bit her lip, but nodded and sat back down.

"I just," Oliver began, not really sure where to start. What did you say to someone you hadn't seen for thirty years? "I guess I don't really know what to say. How have you been seems so inadequate." Elizabeth smiled sadly, looking at her hands.

"There isn't much **to** say," she replied. "What happened, happened and it was all such a long time ago. It does no good to hang on to regrets or blame." She shrugged.

"Are you saying you blame me?" Oliver asked quietly, a bit of an edge to his voice.

"I did once, a long time ago," Elizabeth answered, her voice hardening a bit as well. "Now," she broke off, waving her hand as if it were nothing. But Oliver heard the edge in her voice, saw the glint of anger in her eyes. He opened his mouth to reply, when Elizabeth interrupted.

"Let's not do this now, Oliver," she said. "Not here, not today. I will not ruin your wedding day." Oliver wanted to protest, but when he saw the sadness on her face, he sighed resignedly.

"Elizabeth, I'm sorry," he said, leaning forward to take her hand in his, noticing the wedding ring she wore as he did so. She smiled slightly and patted the back of his hand.

"I know you are," she replied. They looked at each other for a long moment, then Elizabeth rose from the chair.

"I should go," she said, as Oliver stood.

"No, please stay," Oliver pleaded. "I want to hear about your life, your family. I want you to meet Annie."

"You should get back to your guests," Elizabeth argued.

"And I will," Oliver said. "That doesn't mean I can't spend time with you as well." Elizabeth bit her lip, studying Oliver's face as though searching for something. Finally she nodded.

"All right," she agreed. "I'll stay." A genuine smile lit her face for the first time.

"Wonderful," Oliver smiled, extending his arm to her. Elizabeth put her arm through his, allowing herself to be led back to the terrace.

* * *

><p>Grace sat with Annie at one of the small tables, not really listening as the little girl chattered away excitedly to her. Grace's mind was still in the library, wondering how Oliver and Elizabeth were getting along. She hadn't really thought about the consequences before finding Elizabeth and inviting her to the wedding. Grace had only thought about how much it hurt not to be able to share this day with her family and she didn't want Oliver to have to feel the same pain. But as she had left them in the library, it became clear to Grace that thirty years was a very long time, and she began to think that she had made a mistake bringing Elizabeth here with no warning.<p>

"Mom!" Annie almost shouted, pulling Grace from her thoughts.

"I'm sorry, dear, my mind was wandering," Grace said smiling at Annie's exasperated look. "What were you saying?"

"I asked where Daddy Warbucks was," Annie said, a frown on her face. "Shouldn't he be here with us?"

"He'll be along shortly, Annie," Grace said, hoping it was true. "He's talking to someone he hasn't seen in a very long time."

"Who?" Annie asked.

"I'll let him tell you that, all right?" Grace replied, putting an arm around Annie and giving her a squeeze. "I'm sure he'll be back any moment now." And as if her words had conjured him, Grace looked up and saw Oliver step out onto the terrace, Elizabeth on his arm. Oliver stopped for a moment and looked around the crowd, spotting Grace and Annie at the table in the yard. Grace smiled as the pair approached them, standing and then pulling Annie to her feet. Oliver released Elizabeth's arm and placed a soft kiss on Grace's cheek.

"Hello, my dear," he said, smiling. Grace leaned into him, wrapping an arm round his waist.

"Daddy Warbucks, where have you been?" Annie asked, hands on her hips. Oliver chuckled at her expression, then gestured for Elizabeth to join them.

"Annie, I'd like to introduce you to someone," he said, as Elizabeth turned to Annie. "This is Elizabeth, my sister." Annie stared at Oliver, open-mouthed.

"I didn't know you had a sister," Annie said. She turned and studied Elizabeth for a moment. "So that means you're my," Annie paused, confusion on her face, trying to figure out the relationship between herself and this newcomer. The adults all smiled, waiting for Annie to continue.

"My aunt, you're my aunt, right?" Annie asked excitedly.

"Yes, I suppose I am," Elizabeth replied, smiling down at the girl.

"I've never had an aunt before," Annie exclaimed.

"Well, I've never had a niece before, so I guess we're even then, aren't we?" Elizabeth asked. Annie nodded happily, taking Elizabeth's hand and smiling shyly at her. Elizabeth returned the smile, squeezing the little girl's hand lightly. Oliver pulled out a chair for Elizabeth and then Grace, as the four sat back down at the table. Annie immediately began to chatter away to Elizabeth, about her life in the orphanage, her kidnapping and subsequent rescue and her adoption party. She gushed about the house, her parents, her friends, the staff, until finally Oliver interrupted her excited babble.

"Annie," he said. "Why don't you ask your Aunt Elizabeth something about herself?" Annie bit her lip, blushing slightly.

"Sorry, Daddy Warbucks," Annie said, as she realized she had forgotten her manners.

"It's all right, my dear," Oliver smiled indulgently. "I know how excited you get." The three adults chuckled together.

"Where do you live, Aunt Elizabeth?" Annie asked politely.

"I live in Boston, with my husband and four children," Elizabeth replied, smiling.

"Are they boys or girls? Are any of them my age? Do they like," Annie began, only stopping when Grace put a hand on her arm, giving her a knowing smile.

"Sorry," Annie said again, and this time Elizabeth laughed out loud.

"It's all right, Annie," Elizabeth whispered conspiratorially. "Sometimes, I get a little excited myself." She winked at the girl, who grinned broadly.

"To answer your question, I have two girls and two boys and my youngest Joe, is your age. My girls, Catherine and Mary, are 15 and 13. And Paul is 12," Elizabeth finished.

"Is Boston far away?" Annie asked.

"Not too far," Elizabeth answered. "I came on the train."

"So maybe we can come and visit you sometime?" Annie asked, her expression eager.

"Perhaps," Elizabeth said quietly, giving Annie a small smile which did not reach her eyes. Grace glanced at Oliver, his expression echoed Elizabeth's, and Grace could see that despite the fact that the two had seemed at ease with each other when they had come from the house, there was far more beneath the surface that had not been settled. Grace bit her lip, once again thinking that perhaps she should not have meddled in Oliver's family affairs. Oliver, seeming to sense her distress, turned and raised a hand to her face, gently pulling her lip from between her teeth. He kissed her softly and shook his head at her as if to say she needn't blame herself. Grace sighed and lay her head on his shoulder, grasping his hand tightly in hers.

She looked up to see Punjab approaching the table. He nodded at the two women and Annie and then addressed Oliver.

"Sahib, Mrs. Pugh is preparing to bring the cake outside," he said.

"Thank you Punjab," Oliver replied. "We'll be along in a moment." Punjab bowed slightly, then strode back toward the house, retaking his position in the terrace doorway. The Asp was patrolling the grounds, Grace knew, along with the extra security that had been hired for the wedding. Mostly to keep the press and curious onlookers away, but there was also the every day threat that was always there. Most of the time, Grace managed to forget the true reason for the two bodyguards' presence, but there were times, such as today, when the full realization of why they were needed hit her. She did not like to imagine Oliver in danger. The thought made Grace grasp his hand more tightly, shivering a little in spite of the warmth of the afternoon. Oliver looked at her, raising an eyebrow, giving her hand a small squeeze.

"I'm all right," Grace said quietly, smiling at him. He brought her hand to his lips, kissing the back of it.

"Shall we?" he asked, rising and gesturing toward the terrace, where Grace could see two of the extra staff that had been hired for the day wheeling a small table onto the terrace, Mrs. Pugh following behind, giving directions. Grace laughed quietly at the expression on the men's faces, exasperation and frustration all rolled into one. Oliver pulled out Grace's chair as she stood and the two walked arm in arm to the terrace, Annie and Elizabeth following behind.

* * *

><p>After the cake had been cut and served, Oliver led Grace to the dance floor. He took her in his arms, waltzing her slowly around the terrace, staring into her eyes. He knew the smile on his face was as wide as the one on hers and as he glanced at the crowd around them watching, saw similar grins all around. Mrs. Pugh had tears running down her cheeks, as did Mrs. Greer, the two of them clasping each other's hand tightly. Annie stood in front of Cecile, her own grin a match for those of her parents. Oliver's throat grew tight at the thought that he had almost pushed Grace away for good, almost clung to his silly belief that love would only hurt him. Grace looked up at him, concern in her eyes and he smiled, kissing her gently to reassure her that everything was all right. He pulled her more tightly to him as they finished the dance, kissing her again as the music finished.<p>

"I love you Grace," he whispered in her ear.

"Forever and always," she said, smiling back at him. He kissed her cheek and hugged her once more, before going and extending a hand to his daughter. Annie took it, smiling up at him and he guided her around the dance floor as Grace was claimed by one of the household staff.

Oliver danced with many of the female guests, as well as his wife and daughter, making sure to fit time in to talk with Elizabeth. He didn't learn much, as Elizabeth seemed to prefer to ask about him, rather than talk about herself. But he did discover that she had married an American soldier right before the end of the war and had moved to the States with him shortly after it was over. Catherine was born a few months later and the family had settled in Boston shortly before Mary came along. Her husband, Frank, was a schoolteacher.

As the party began to wind down, Grace excused herself and went to change and ready herself for their honeymoon. They had discussed many options, Europe among them, but had decided, in the end, that neither of them wanted to be gone for too long or be too far away from Annie. So they were planning a few days at Niagara Falls instead. Oliver smiled at the thought of spending five days, and nights, alone with his new wife.

Oliver decided to try one last time to convince Elizabeth to dance with him. So far she had turned him down, insisting there were others he should dance with first. He reached the table where she was sitting alone, sipping champagne, Annie having followed her mother to help her pack. Oliver stopped in front of Elizabeth, holding a hand out to her.

"Would you care to dance?" he asked, a smile on his face. Elizabeth shook her head chuckling.

"You don't give up, do you?" she asked.

"Not usually, no," he said, laughing. Elizabeth nodded, taking Oliver's hand and rising to her feet. He led her to the dance floor and they began to waltz.

"Do you remember the last time we did this?" Elizabeth asked after a few moments.

"Indeed I do," Oliver said, chuckling. "You were what, three at the time?"

"Just turned four," Elizabeth corrected.

"You were playing princess and wanted Peter to be your prince, but he refused. You were throwing a temper tantrum, stomping your little foot, you were so adorable, I couldn't help but give in," Oliver smiled broadly.

"And you waltzed me around the room, while I stood on your feet," Elizabeth grinned. "Davey cheering us on." They both looked at each other then, sad smiles on their faces. Oliver gave Elizabeth's hand a slight squeeze.

"That was right before," Oliver said quietly, "it's the last happy memory I have of him." Elizabeth nodded, tears in her eyes. They danced in silence for a moment, both caught up in their own memories.

"I really am glad to see that you're so happy Oliver," Elizabeth said sincerely

"Thank you," he replied. "I never thought I could be this happy."

"Grace is lovely," Elizabeth continued.

"Yes, she is," Oliver agreed. "And I'm still not quite sure what I did to deserve her." He looked away, unable to meet Elizabeth's eye. "I know I've made mistakes, maybe too many for you to forgive me for. But I do hope that you'll give me a chance to try and make it up to you." He looked at her then, hope in his eyes. Elizabeth stared at him for a moment, then sighed.

"Oliver, I don't know what to say," she said quietly. "I don't know if I can give you what you want, at least not now." She shook her head. "So much time has passed, and yet sometimes it seems as if barely any has and I'm still that little girl in Liverpool watching her big brother walk away from her." Oliver could not reply, could only look at the hurt in her eyes and know he was the one to put it there.

"I'm sorry, I," he began, but Elizabeth interrupted.

"I know that you are, but I'm just not sure that it's enough," she admitted sadly. As the song ended, Elizabeth brought a hand to Oliver's cheek.

"Please thank Grace for inviting me. I am glad that I could see you happy and I mean that. I'll see myself out." She turned and began to walk away, but Oliver caught her arm as she did so. He pulled her back to him and enveloped her in a fierce hug. She held herself rigid for a moment, then relaxed into him. He kissed the top of her head, then pulled back from her.

"Grace and I are leaving shortly for our honeymoon," Oliver said. "But I would really like to talk more, once we're back." He searched her face for consent, but her expression was blank. She bit her lip, then gave a small nod of her head.

"Grace has my address and my phone number," Elizabeth said. "Good-bye Oliver." She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek then turned from him once more.

"One of the drivers can take you back to the train station," Oliver said. "Let me walk you out." Elizabeth turned slightly and shook her head.

"I can manage," she said and with that, she was gone. Oliver stood looking after her for a very long time, wondering if he would ever see her again, until Annie reemerged from the house, tugging on his arm and telling him Grace was ready and waiting for him in the foyer.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N - I am so sorry for the delay! I fully intended to post this on Monday, however my laptop has decided not to cooperate, and broke down on me again over the weekend. It was the worst week for it to happen, as I have been very busy during the days and trying to wrestle time on my kids' computer when they are home, has been near impossible. If anyone has a teenager, you know what I mean. ;) I can't promise the next chapter will be up in a week, as I am going to have to get a new laptop, but I'll try my best.**

**And now for this chapter - some angst in the beginning, but then lots of fluffy fluff. :) Thanks to all who have reviewed, I appreciate them more than I can say! **

Grace and Oliver walked down the train platform hand in hand, the Asp following behind with their luggage. Oliver had refused to let either of the bodyguards come with them to Niagara Falls, it was their honeymoon after all. They, in turn, had refused to let him drive, trying to convince him to take the train instead. Oliver had protested, until Grace had placed a hand on his arm and given him a look. Defeated, he agreed, knowing he could never go against anything Grace wanted when she looked at him like that. He had booked a private compartment for the two of them and let the Asp accompany them to the train, allowing the man to check things over before they boarded.

At the Asp's nod, Oliver led Grace into the compartment, sliding the door shut and pulling the curtains for privacy before sitting down next to her in the seat. He put an arm around her waist, drawing her in close to him, allowing a large sigh to escape. Grace laid her head on his shoulder and he kissed her atop the head, as the train began to move. He leaned his head back against the wall of the compartment and allowed his eyes to drift closed. It had been a long day and he had not gotten much sleep the night before, Grace not being the only one affected by nerves. Elizabeth's appearance at the wedding had just thrown in emotional exhaustion on top of the physical. A short rest would do him some good, Oliver thought. His hand rested on Grace's hip and he tightened his grip, almost needing to assure himself that she was still there. She slid her hand from his waist up to his chest and raised her head to kiss his cheek, before settling back into his side. Oliver smiled before relaxing into the seat once more, his breathing evening out until he was asleep.

* * *

><p>Grace lay quietly against Oliver's side. He had fallen asleep only a few minutes before and she didn't want to wake him. She knew he was tired, she had seen it in his eyes when they boarded the train. Unfortunately, Grace knew that some of it was her fault. She was unsure what had happened between Oliver and Elizabeth once Grace had left the wedding to change, but she suspected it hadn't been good. She sighed, wishing again that she had spoken to Oliver before looking for his family. She had just wanted to surprise him and make him happy, but it seemed her gesture had the opposite effect. Elizabeth had not even wanted to come to the wedding at first, in fact she had been insistent that she would not. It had taken a lot of pleading and cajoling on Grace's part to convince her. Now, tears pricked Grace's eyes at the thought that she had hurt Oliver, especially on a day that should have been only a happy one.<p>

As Grace sat contemplating what to do about the mess she had make, Oliver shifted in his sleep, the hand that held Grace to his side relaxing and slipping off her hip. Grace sat up slowly, careful not to jostle him, and looked at Oliver's face. His brow was furrowed, his mouth twisted into almost a grimace. Not the most peaceful of sleep, Grace thought to herself. She reached up and drew her thumb lightly across his forehead, smoothing the muscles there until they relaxed. His mouth followed suit and a small smile tugged at his lips, bringing one to Grace's as well. She leaned back beside him, her back to his side, pulling his arm around to rest on her stomach. She looked out the window, watching the scenery fly by, as they made their way to what Grace hoped would be a stress-free few days.

* * *

><p>Oliver awoke an hour later to find Grace asleep beside him, her back to him and her head resting on his shoulder. He sat, unmoving, so as not to disturb her, thinking again about what Elizabeth had said to him just before she left. Oliver had no idea that his actions all those years ago had affected her so deeply. She had been just a little girl when he left, and she and Peter had been so close. Oliver thought they would be all right, having each other. And he knew their mother had loved all of them, even if she never seemed to be able to stand up to their father. Besides, Oliver had sent letters and money, at first, only stopping when he never received any reply in return. His mother seemed to have washed her hands of him once he left, that wasn't his fault.<p>

A small part of Oliver wished that Grace hand never found Elizabeth, that the two of them could have continued on with their lives, oblivious of the other. But that was the selfish part of him. That little piece that was still left over from the old Oliver, the one who didn't want to let anyone in, didn't want to feel anything too deeply. The Oliver he had been before he had let Annie and then Grace into his life. Elizabeth was all he had left of his family. Davey, Peter and his mother were gone, his father as good as. Oliver had no idea if the man was alive or dead and frankly, he really didn't care. His father was a drunk and a gambler, had never been any kind of father to any of them, never provided for them, never loved any of them, as far as Oliver was concerned. His father was the reason they hadn't been able to get the medicine Davey needed, and Oliver would never forgive him for that, even after all these years.

Oliver felt anger welling up inside him at the thought of Davey lying helpless and sick on his cot in their small apartment. His brother, who never asked for anything, couldn't get the one thing he needed because his father was a selfish bastard. Oliver's teeth clenched and his hands fisted, reliving the hours and days following Davey's death. His mother's soft sobs late at night when she thought they were all sleeping, Elizabeth and Peter's trembling lips when Oliver had to explain to them that Davey was gone and never coming back, his father not showing up until the end of the funeral, drunk and raving at 10:00 in the morning and the coffin, that seemed much, much too small to hold his bigger than life brother, being slowly lowered into the ground. Oliver gasped, a quiet sob escaping him, unaware of how hard he was gripping Grace.

* * *

><p>Grace's eyes opened quickly, a sharp pain in her side. She shifted, trying to rid herself of the pain, when she heard a soft sob from behind her. She turned, looking at Oliver anxiously. He tried to hide his face from her, but the anguish was clear, and without hesitation, Grace pulled him into her arms. He tried to pull back, mumbled something about being fine, but Grace held fast and he clung to her until his breathing steadied. Grace pulled back, placing a hand against his cheek, her eyes searching his. He refused to meet her gaze at first, then finally sighed and looked up at her, an apologetic look on his face.<p>

"Don't," she said, kissing him softly. "Don't be sorry." He leaned into her hand for a moment, and then straightened, tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.

"I am though," he replied, smiling ruefully. She smiled back, then removed her hand from his face, taking hold of his hand instead.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked quietly, although she already thought she knew the answer.

"If I say no, will you let it go?" he answered, a knowing smile tugging at his lips.

"Probably not," Grace admitted, blushing slightly, but returning his smile. He chuckled, but looked away.

"It's Elizabeth, isn't it?" Grace asked. When Oliver didn't reply, she bit her lip, looking down at her lap. Oliver put a finger under her chin, tipping her head up so she was looking at him.

"Please," he said. "Please stop blaming yourself. I promise you, I am glad that you found Elizabeth and convinced her to come to the wedding." Grace looked into his eyes and knew he was telling her the truth.

"Then what?" she asked. Oliver sighed.

"Seeing her just brought up a lot of memories. Things I thought I had put to rest, but that was just my stubbornness and refusal to actually deal with them," Oliver replied. "I made many mistakes Grace, ones I can't take back. And I'm not sure if Elizabeth will be able to forgive me for them," he finished quietly. Grace took his hand in hers once more, squeezing gently.

"She will, Oliver," Grace insisted. "You'll just have to convince her to." Oliver smiled at the faith his wife seemed to have in him.

"I certainly hope you're right," he said quietly. He wrapped an arm gently around Grace and pulled her to his side again. She leaned against him for a moment, then sat up and swung her legs around and onto his lap. He looked at her, eyebrow quirked, then laid a hand on her knee, slowly running it up her thigh. Grace shivered, then pulled him towards her, kissing him soundly. He fisted his other hand in her hair, returning her kiss until they were both breathless. The hand on her thigh made its way up her hip and side, coming to rest on her back as Oliver began to kiss her neck, pulling her closer. She had wound her arms around his neck, but as he moved back to her lips, she released him, going to work on the buttons of his shirt. One hand still in her hair, Oliver's other hand moved to the buttons on the back of Grace's dress, just as she slipped a hand inside his shirt. Still kissing her, he managed to undo the top few buttons and ran a hand down her bare back. Grace gasped, just as there was a knock on the door of the compartment.

Grace jumped at the knock, looking at Oliver, lips red and puffy from his kisses, her breath coming in short gasps. Oliver looked positively murderous at the interruption and she couldn't help but giggle. He flashed her a look of irritation, which made her laugh harder, clapping a hand over her mouth as the knock sounded again.

"Yes," Oliver called out.

"Excuse me sir, but I wanted to inform you that dinner is now being served in the dining car," the steward said.

"Thank you," Oliver replied. Once Grace heard the footsteps recede, she removed her hand from her mouth and laughed loudly. Oliver tried to scowl at her, but after a few seconds he couldn't contain himself and laughed right along with her. Once they had composed themselves, he kissed her once more, softly this time, to which Grace's stomach gave a loud growl. She began to giggle again and Oliver just shook his head.

"Well, I guess that answers that question," he said, his eyes full of mirth. He turned Grace around and began rebuttoning her dress. "All right my darling, let's make ourselves presentable and go and have some dinner."

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, Oliver and Grace made their way to the dining car for dinner. Although Grace was used to opulence, living in the Warbucks mansion as she did, she was still surprised at how very elegant the train and dining car were. After a wonderful meal, the two of them retired to the lounge, Oliver with a glass of brandy, Grace a glass of sherry, and simply sat enjoying the scenery and each other's company for a large portion of the remainder of the ride. As they drew near Niagara Falls, the two returned to their compartment to await a steward to remove their luggage, as Oliver had hired a car to pick them up from the station and take them to the hotel. Luggage stowed and Oliver and Grace safely ensconced in the back seat of the limousine, the driver drove to the hotel, unloading their bags and giving them to a bellhop while Oliver checked into their room.<p>

The bellhop led them to their room, opening the door and handing Oliver the key. The bellhop gestured them into the room, Grace looping a hand through Oliver's arm and allowing him to lead her inside. The room was a large suite, a sitting room complete with balcony, as well as a large bedroom and private bath. The bellhop carried their luggage into the bedroom, setting the suitcases on two stands, then accepted a tip from Oliver. After offering the two of them congratulations, he left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

Grace stood near the balcony doors, quietly contemplating the darkness outside. Now that they were actually here, she was more than a little nervous, their earlier activity on the train notwithstanding. Oliver came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. She relaxed back against him, idly running a hand up and down his arm. He gave her a squeeze, then kissed her on the cheek, stepping back and taking one of her hands in his. He slowly led her toward the bedroom and as they reached the door, he scooped her up into his arms, eliciting a shriek from Grace. She smiled then, as he kissed her, and he carried her through the doorway, kicking the door shut behind him, kissing her all the while.

* * *

><p>Oliver woke early, blinking in the morning sun streaming through the thin curtains at the window. He turned a head toward Grace, then propped himself up on one elbow, watching her sleep. Her hair was fanned out beneath her on the pillow, one hand grasped his forearm, the other rested on her stomach. She had a small smile on her face and Oliver wondered what she was dreaming about. He stared at her, thinking how strange it was to think of her as his wife and yet how right it sounded in his mind. Last night had been nothing short of amazing, he hoped that he hadn't inadvertently hurt her, although she had seemed to be as happy as he was. Oliver ran a finger down Grace's cheek and she stirred, lashes fluttering. He leaned down and kissed her softly. When he rose up to look at her again, her eyes were open and she was looking up at him.<p>

"Well, that was a very nice way to wake up," she said, a smile breaking over her face.

"Good morning, Mrs. Warbucks," Oliver smiled back, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

"Mmm, I very much like that sound of that," she said, snuggling closer to him. "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long," he replied, lightly running his hand up and down her arm. "How are you feeling this morning?" Grace gave him a quizzical look.

"I feel fine, why?" she asked, puzzlement clear in her eyes.

"Well, it's just that," Oliver paused, clearing his throat, obviously flustered. "The first time, it can be, well," Grace cut him off, placing a finger against his lips.

"It was perfect," Grace insisted. "You were perfect, gentle and sweet." She caressed his cheek with her hand. "I'm fine Oliver." She pulled herself up on her own arm, pulling the sheet more tightly around herself and kissed him.

"As a matter of fact," she said, pulling back to look at him once again. "I was just thinking about what you said to me right before Annie's party." Oliver looked at her questioningly.

"You remember," she began, kissing the corner of his mouth. "The girls had gone out on the terrace," she moved to his jaw. "I said something about the laughter of children," she continued, moving to his neck. "And you said," Oliver growled and pounced on her, while Grace laughed.

"I remember perfectly well what I said." He looked at her, a wave of desire sweeping through him. Grace wound her arms around his neck.

"Well, then, what are you planning on doing about it?" she asked, grinning at him wickedly. Oliver answered by crushing her mouth with his own, pulling her as close to him as possible, all gentleness forgotten. And as the two joined together, Oliver realized he had never understood how perfect two people could be for each other, until now.

* * *

><p>Grace awoke first, a few hours later, her head resting on Oliver's chest, he holding her snugly to his side. She sighed contentedly, her hand making small circles on his skin. She had never expected things to be this wonderful. Actually, if truth be told, she hadn't really been sure what to expect at all. She had heard stories and idle gossip of course, but nothing she had been told had come anywhere close to how perfect everything had been between the two of them. Color rose a bit in Grace's cheeks as she replayed the memories of the previous night and then this morning and she sighed again, a grin slowly turning up the corners of her mouth. Oliver stirred then and she propped her chin on his chest to look at him as he awoke. He smiled widely at her, leaning up and kissing her forehead, running a hand up and down her back, making her shiver.<p>

"Sleep well?" he asked, sly grin on his face. Grace blushed, then lightly smacked his chest as his grin widened.

"I've said it before, you're impossible," she laughed.

"Probably true," he said, as he turned onto his side and kissed her.

"Definitely true," Grace argued, trying to look serious and failing miserably.

"Perhaps," he said, kissing her again. Grace lost herself in the kiss for a moment until she heard Oliver's stomach rumble loudly. She pulled back and grinned at him, as he looked sheepish.

"Should we make ourselves presentable and go and have some breakfast?" she said teasingly, echoing his words from the night before.

"Absolutely not," he replied, nuzzling her neck. "That, my dear, is what room service is for." He stood and walked to the bathroom for a robe, bringing Grace one as well. She rose and put it on, heading into the bathroom as Oliver placed an order for room service. When she returned, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into a slow and gentle kiss, then pulled back, holding her at arm's length as if inspecting her.

"That is as presentable and I expect you to get today," he said, then kissing her again. "I don't intend to leave this room."

"Oh really?" Grace asked, eyebrows raised, but her eyes sparkled mischievously. "And just how do you intend to keep be prisoner here, may I ask?"

"Oh, I definitely have my ways," Oliver began, as he kissed his way from her jaw down her neck. Grace sucked in a breath, a shudder running through her. Oliver chuckled, pulling back to look at her again. "You were saying?" he asked, eyes shining with laughter.

"Like I said, impossible," Grace managed to squeak out, as Oliver went back to her neck. It was her last coherent thought for quite a long time.

* * *

><p>They spent the rest of the afternoon in the room, just as Oliver had promised, but Grace convinced him to dress for dinner and they dined in the restaurant of the hotel. Oliver's sadness from the previous evening on the train seemed to have disappeared, even when Grace brought up Boston and a trip she had taken there with her parents. Oliver seemed not to notice, or else chose to ignore, the inadvertent reminder of Elizabeth, something which Grace was glad to see. She hoped they could have a few days of peace before they had to face the real world again.<p>

The next couple of days were spent sight-seeing, Grace was amazed at the power and beauty of the falls. She made Oliver return, two and then three times, as well as eat lunch at a small café with a view. She didn't think she would ever tire of watching the water thunder over the edge and crash down onto the rocks below. Oliver, for his part, was enchanted with Grace's reaction. He had visited Niagara once, many years ago while on a business trip nearby, but hadn't really _looked_ at it before. He found himself seeing many things in a new way, through Grace's eyes. Her enthusiasm was infectious and before long, Oliver found himself forgetting his personal troubles and doubts and just enjoying himself. They shopped, buying little things for Annie and themselves and ate dinner at a different restaurant each night. Oliver even took Grace dancing one evening. They laughed and talked, never seeming to run out of things to say to each other.

The third night of their stay, Grace and Oliver were walking back to the hotel from dinner. Grace was full and content, her arm through Oliver's, a small smile on her face as they walked. Oliver had been a bit quieter at dinner this evening, but Grace didn't think much of it. They'd had a busy day and done a lot of walking, Grace assumed he was tired, as she was. As they entered the hotel lobby and stood waiting for the elevator, she noticed that he looked a bit drawn. Worried, she squeezed his hand gently.

"Oliver, are you all right?" she asked. Oliver started at her words.

"What?" he asked absent-mindedly. "Oh, yes, I'm fine darling. Just a bit tired." He gave her a wan smile and gave her hand a quick pat. Before Grace could respond, the elevator had arrived. They rode up to their room in silence, Grace glancing at Oliver every few moments. He seemed to be deep in thought and Grace wondered what had happened to change his mood so quickly. At dinner he had laughed with her and seemed perfectly fine. They reached their floor and Oliver led her down the hall, opening their door and gesturing her inside. After he closed the door, he went immediately to the bar in the sitting room and poured himself a glass of scotch. Grace bit her lip, knowing something was wrong. She went and stood in front of him, taking his free hand.

"Are you sure you're all right?" she asked, concern in her voice. Oliver set his drink down on the sideboard and brought his hand to her cheek.

"I'm fine," he said, leaning down and kissing her gently. "Don't worry about me." He smiled at her, but Grace could tell it wasn't a genuine smile. Still, she knew better than to push, he would just get angry and close himself off completely.

"All right," she said. "I'll just go and get ready for bed then."

"I'll be there shortly," Oliver replied. At the doorway to the bedroom, Grace paused and looked back. Oliver stood staring at the fireplace, drink back in his hand, deep in thought once more. Grace watched him for a moment, then continued on into the bedroom, hoping that whatever it was that was bothering him didn't have anything to do with his family.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N - Surprise, surprise, I was able to get this chapter out on time after all! My new laptop should arrive this week, so I will hopefully be able to stay on schedule from now on. I hope everyone is enjoying the story, please let me know what you think if you have a little time! **

Grace readied herself for bed and when she emerged from the bathroom, Oliver still hadn't come into the bedroom. Grace glanced out the door and saw him still looking into the emptiness of the fireplace, drink in hand. She sighed and turned toward the bed, then stopped, changing her mind.

"Oliver?" she called from the doorway. He turned to her, a blank expression on his face. Grace took a few steps toward him. "Are you coming to bed?" she asked. He didn't respond for a moment, simply stared at her with the same impassive look.

"Oh, yes, of course," Oliver finally answered. "I'll just finish my drink and then I'll be along." He turned back to the fireplace. Grace bit her lip worriedly. Something was wrong and she wished he would just tell her what it was. She walked across the room and as she reached him, laid a tentative hand on his arm. He started, spinning around and looking at her as if he had no idea who she was.

"I'm sorry," she immediately said. "I didn't mean to startle you." She looked up at him, concern in her eyes, but he refused to meet her gaze.

"I said I'm fine," he replied curtly. "Just let me be." Grace turned from him, hurt and confusion crossing her face as she made her way back to the bedroom. She closed the door quietly behind her, wondering again what on earth had made Oliver so upset. Grace sat down on the bed, propping pillows up behind her and leaning back against the headboard. Her hurt gave way to anger as she went over their conversation at dinner once more and realized there was nothing they discussed that would have put him in such a mood. Irritated, she decided to let him finish his drink, but she had no intention of letting him come to bed without telling her what was wrong. Settling back into the pillows, Grace crossed her arms in front of her, mouth set in a tight line, waiting for Oliver.

* * *

><p>Some time later, Grace awoke to silence. There was no sound of soft snoring beside her, the bedside lamp was still on and Grace was still reclined back into the pillows, alone. She glanced at the small clock on the table and saw with surprise that it was almost 1:00 in the morning. Grace looked to the bathroom, but it was dark. She stood and pulled on her robe, thinking that perhaps Oliver had fallen asleep on the sofa. When she entered the sitting room, however, it was empty. For a moment, panic overcame Grace as she remembered Oliver collapsing just a couple of weeks before, following Annie's kidnapping and return. She nearly flew across the room to look in front of the sofa near the fireplace, but no one was there. Grace breathed a sigh of relief, then wondered where Oliver had gone. Surely he hadn't taken a walk this late at night. As she scanned the room again, she noticed that the door to the balcony was slightly ajar. Grace crossed the room and looked out.<p>

Oliver sat in a chair on the balcony, glass still in his hand, staring out into the darkness. He didn't even notice as Grace opened the door and stepped outside. The night air was chilly, even in July, as far north as they were. Grace wrapped her robe more tightly around herself and ran her hands up and down her arms to try and warm them. Oliver seemed not to notice she was even there.

"Oliver?" she questioned, quietly, not wanting to startle him as she had earlier in the night. But she received no response. She put a hand on his shoulder, but still he didn't turn. Worried now, Grace walked in front of him and knelt down. As she did so, her knee bumped something and she looked down to see the bottle of scotch. She picked it up and held it up to the light coming from inside their room and with shock, realized that more than half of the bottle was gone. She looked up quickly and saw that Oliver's eyes were glassy and unfocused. She set the bottle back down on the ground, away from the two of them, and put a hand on his knee.

"Oliver," she said again, more sharply this time. He seemed to try to look at her for a moment, then mumbled something unintelligible under his breath. He looked away again, his eyes becoming unfocused once more.

"Come on Oliver," Grace said, standing and taking his hand. "Let's get you to bed." She tugged on his hand, but Oliver didn't move. Grace sighed, kneeling down in front of him once more.

"Oliver," she said gently, placing a hand against his cheek. "Please darling, please get up and come to bed." She put her other hand to the other side of his face, forcing him to look at her. He finally focused on her face and brought a shaky hand up to run over her hair.

"Grace," he whispered. Grace smiled and nodded, getting to her feet once again. She took both his hands in hers, again pulling to try and force him to his feet, but Oliver wouldn't budge.

"Oliver, you can't sit out here all night," Grace insisted, exasperated. This was getting ridiculous, she was tired and cold and more than a little annoyed with her husband. She stood with her hands on her hips, contemplating calling down for assistance from a bellman to get Oliver inside. As she stood trying to decide what to do, she heard a choked noise from Oliver and immediately knelt back down.

He had his face in his hands and he was mumbling something again. She tried to pry his hands away, but he wouldn't let her, so settled for wrapping her arms around him instead. As she rubbed his back and tried to soothe him, she tried to make out the mumbling and realized he was repeating "sorry, so sorry" over and over again. At first, Grace thought he was talking about getting drunk on the balcony, but then she heard "Peter" and "Elizabeth" and knew he meant something else entirely. She continued to shush him until he finally quieted, then pulled back from him again. He looked up at her and seemed to actually meet her gaze this time. The pain that she hadn't seen in his eyes since the night they were locked in the pantry had returned, and the depth of it almost took Grace's breath away. She pulled him back into her embrace and he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. He burrowed his face into her neck, as she placed soft kisses on his temple. After a few moments, he pulled back from her, running one finger down her cheek.

"Will you please come inside and go to bed?" Grace asked quietly and he nodded. She stood, taking him by the hands once again and pulling him to his feet. Grace led Oliver inside, an arm wrapped around his waist, to try and keep him from stumbling as they made their way to the bedroom. She helped him undress and got him into his pajamas and then tucked him into bed. She climbed in next to him and snuggled up behind him, one arm over his waist, her cheek pressed against his back.

"Don't deserve you," he mumbled as he grasped her hand that was around his middle and instantly fell asleep. Grace sighed and closed her eyes, knowing that she had a lot of plans to change the following day.

* * *

><p>Oliver awoke, squinting at the sun streaming in through the window. He slowly rolled over onto his back, his head pounding, his mouth feeling like an entire bale of cotton had been stuffed into it. His stomach flipped and rolled and a small groan escaped him. He brought an arm up to cover his eyes and slowly groped with the other next to him. Feeling nothing, he realized he was alone in the bed. He sighed, wondering just how much he had actually drank the night before, he had lost count after the 4th glass. He vaguely remembered Grace coming out on to the balcony and helping him into bed. Unfortunately, he didn't remember much else. Grace must be furious with him, Oliver thought, ashamed of what he'd done. He never lost control like that, especially after everything he had gone through, everything his mother had gone through, with his father. The shame settled deeper into Oliver's heart.<p>

He was just going to have to make it up to her, he thought as he gingerly sat up in bed. His stomach rolled and black spots danced before his eyes at the motion, he closed them and took a deep breath until his equilibrium seemed to right itself.

"Serves you right Warbucks, you idiot," Oliver muttered to himself. He opened his eyes and looked at the clock on the bedside table, astonished that it was already 10:00. He wondered briefly where Grace was, but assumed she was in the sitting room waiting for him. He hoped she hadn't waited breakfast for him. He stood, having to brace himself against the wall as vertigo swept over him once more, then stumbled his way to the bathroom.

Oliver returned to the bedroom a few minutes later, feeling a bit better after washing up and taking a couple of aspirin for his headache. The door to the sitting room was open, but Grace was nowhere in sight. His eyes swept the room again and it was only then that he noticed her suitcase sitting next to the door of the suite. Oliver's brow furrowed, causing his head to pound again, but he ignored the pain, trying to understand why his wife's suitcase was there. He glanced back into the bedroom and saw the door to the small armoire was open, Grace's clothes removed. He opened the drawer of the dresser and all of her things were gone from there too, all of his still in place, however. As he stood there, he realized he hadn't seen any of her toiletries in the bathroom either. Oliver started to panic, when his eyes alit upon a note propped up on Grace's pillow, his name written in her elegant script. He stared at it, mouth agape, unwilling to reach for it. He looked away and closed his eyes, thinking that if he ignored it, perhaps it would go away and this nightmare would be over. But when he opened them, the note was still there and Oliver finally reached for it with a shaking hand, sinking down onto the bed, his heart caught in his throat. Grace was leaving him.

* * *

><p>Grace bustled back into the suite after finishing the errands she had attended to that morning. She glanced at her watch and hoped Oliver was up. They didn't have much time and she had no idea what condition he would be in this morning. Probably not a very good one after drinking over half a bottle of scotch, she thought wryly. No matter, he could rest on the train. As long as they made the train, she thought, as she glanced at her watch again.<p>

The sitting room was empty she saw, and the food she had ordered from room service untouched, meaning that Oliver was probably still asleep. Grace sighed, hoping she would be able to rouse him quickly. As she stepped into the bedroom, she saw Oliver sitting on the bed, staring at the note she had left him.

"Oh, good, you're up," she said, quickly walking to the armoire and pulling out a suit, shirt and tie for him, which she laid on the bed. "I'll pack the rest of your things for you while you get dressed. You had better try and eat something too." Grace began pulling the rest of his suits and shirts out of the armoire and packed them into his suitcase. She moved to the dresser to remove the rest of his things and when she turned back, she noticed that he hadn't moved.

"Oliver," she said. "Aren't you going to get dressed?" Oliver sat unmoving, still staring down at her note. Grace watched him, confused. "Oliver?" He glanced up at her for just a moment, but it was long enough for Grace to see the pain in his eyes. She sat down beside him on the bed, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Oliver, what is it, are you ill?" she asked. He shook his head slightly. "Then what is it?"

"How can you ask me that?" he managed to rasp out. "After, this." He gestured to the note.

"After my note? What about it?" Grace asked, completely baffled.

"How can you be so calm, so matter-of-fact about everything?" Oliver asked, incredulous. "Do I mean so little to you?" He looked down at his hands again while Grace just stared at him open-mouthed.

"Oliver, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about," Grace said.

"This, you being gone when I woke up, the suitcase, the note," he choked out, his voice starting to shake with anger. "How can you just sit there and act as if you don't know what's going on when you're leaving me!" He got to his feet and crossed the room to the window, his back to her. Grace sat motionless on the bed in shock. Leaving him? What on earth was he going on about? Then she looked around the room at the armoire and dresser that had only been half-empty when she returned and her suitcase sitting by the door, plus the fact that they were leaving two days early and realized. She took a deep breath, moving to stand behind him. She put a hand on his arm, which he shrugged off, refusing to look at her.

"Oliver," she said gently. "Did you actually read the note?"

"I didn't need to," he said brusquely. "I know what it says." Grace sighed, reaching around and plucking the note from Oliver's grasp. She opened it and began to read.

"Oliver," she read. "I hope that you are feeling all right this morning. I had to go and take care of a few things. There is breakfast in the sitting room, please try and eat something. I'll be back soon. All my love, Grace." She finished and handed the note back to him. He took it, but refused to meet her gaze, so she turned to finish packing his suitcase. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye as she did so and saw that he had opened the note and read it himself. Moments passed, as she continued to pack, and then she heard Oliver clear his throat.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. Grace stood watching him until he turned around, her arms crossed in front of her. He looked at her, then slowly approached until he was only a foot away. She looked at him for a moment, then held out her arms to him, embracing him tightly. They stood there for a few moments before she pulled back a bit from him.

"Now, do you want to tell me what this was all about?" Grace asked, as Oliver looked away, his face reddening.

"Nothing, just, nothing," Oliver said.

"It's not nothing, Oliver, you thought I was leaving you," Grace replied, her voice serious.

"It was just, after my behavior last night and then seeing your suitcase by the door this morning and the note, I just thought," Oliver trailed off, too embarrassed to continue. Grace stared at him for a moment before responding.

"Do you have so little faith in me?" She tried to keep her voice light, but it shook a little and she knew Oliver could see the hurt in her eyes. He pulled her tighter to him in response, sighing and running a hand over her hair.

"No, my darling, not you, never you," he replied, kissing her cheek, his own voice a bit shaky. "It's me I can't seem to put any faith in. I just, all these emotions, they're all still new to me, I still don't know if I can do it. I keep thinking how badly I messed things up with Elizabeth and what an idiot I was with you, pushing you away for no reason. I'm afraid one of these times I'm going to do something so stupid, it will drive you away for good, just like I did to my family." Oliver clung to Grace as if his life depended on it, she rested her head on his shoulder for a moment before she stepped back to look at him.

"Do you remember what I told you that night in the pantry?" Grace asked. Oliver looked at her, but didn't answer. "I told you no matter what, I loved you and I wasn't going to change my mind. Did you forget that?" Oliver shook his head.

"No, I didn't forget," he replied. He turned from her again and said so quietly, she almost didn't hear him. "But I don't deserve you." Grace sighed. They were back to this again then. She looked at her watch and realized they didn't have time to discuss this right now, if they were going to make the train in time. She went to Oliver, putting a hand on his arm and turning him around. She took his face in her hands, as she had that night in the pantry and looked him in the eye.

"I'm not going anywhere and I'm not going to change my mind," Grace said, repeating her words from that night. "I love you Oliver Warbucks and I always will. No matter how angry you get, how insane you act, how insecure you are, I love you." She paused and made sure he was still looking at her. "Forever and always." Oliver smiled at her as he leaned down and kissed her. Grace smiled back once they had broken apart.

"Now, I know we need to talk more about this, as well as what happened last night to make you want to drown your sorrows in a bottle. And I promise you, we _will _talk about it," Grace said, looking stern. Oliver looked away, his face reddening. "But for now, you need to get dressed, we don't have much time." Grace turned back to the suitcase and finished packing Oliver's clothes. She went to the bathroom and gathered his toiletries.

"I suppose you'll have to shave later," she said, caressing his cheek for a brief moment as she walked past, then realized he was still standing where she had left him, his suit still lying on the bed. "Oliver," she said, her patience nearing its limit. "_Why_ aren't you getting dressed?"

"Are you at least going to tell me what is going on? If you're not upset about what I did last night, why are we leaving early?" Oliver asked, losing patience himself.

"We have to catch the train," Grace said distractedly, scanning the room for anything they might have forgotten.

"The train to where exactly?" Oliver asked, starting to think he was not going to like the answer.

"To Boston, of course," Grace replied, snapping his suitcase shut and carrying it out of the room, leaving an open-mouthed Oliver standing in her wake.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N - Okay, it's still Monday where I am, so that means I still got this one in on time. Thank you all so much for the reviews, I so appreciate every single one! This chapter is a bit shorter than the previous ones, but this was the best place to cut it from the next (which is half written, maybe I'll get one up early!). Enjoy!**

Oliver stood frozen, still gaping after Grace. Boston? They were going to Boston? Good lord, what had he said to Grace last night? He began to dress mechanically, his thoughts swirling in his brain, trying to remember what had happened the night before. All he succeeded in doing was bringing his headache back to the forefront. His hands shook as he tried to tie his tie and after the third unsuccessful attempt, he growled, ripping the offending garment from around his neck and throwing it to the floor. He sank back onto the bed, scrubbing a hand down his face, trying to decide how he could convince her that this was a very bad idea. He doubted very much whether Elizabeth even wanted to see him, and if Oliver knew anything about Grace, he was almost positive she hadn't called to warn Elizabeth they were coming. Before he could come up with any kind of rational argument against the trip, Grace strode back into the room.

"The bellman will be here in ten minutes to get our luggage," she said. "You really should come out and eat something before we leave." Grace looked down at the tie on the floor and smirked. "Tie attack you again?" she asked, cheekily. Oliver glowered at her as she bent to retrieve it. She stood and put the tie back around his neck, then tied it expertly, smoothing it down when she had finished. As she moved to go back to the sitting room, Oliver grabbed her around the waist and pulled her onto his lap, laughing at her yelp of surprise. He kissed her quite thoroughly, leaving her breathless when he was finished.

"Why are we going to Boston?" he asked, before she had a chance to recover. He had kissed her on purpose, hoping to catch her off-guard and get a real answer to his question, instead of one she knew he couldn't object to. However, he seemed to have underestimated her, as she answered at once, albeit gasping a bit.

"Oh well, I've been thinking about that trip I took with my parents all those years ago and it's made me want to visit again," she said nonchalantly as she stood from his lap. "I thought a change of scenery might be fun." She smiled at him, laughter in her eyes, as he scowled. "Come and eat something," she said, pulling on his hand.

"I'm not hungry," he said, pouting like a child. Grace laughed out loud at his expression. Then she settled herself back onto his lap and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Please," she said, nuzzling his jawline with her nose. "For me?" She looked at him innocently, but he saw the small gleam in her eye, and he had to suck in a breath as she began to nibble his ear.

"Cheating," he gasped, as she kissed his neck.

"Turnabout is fair play, darling," Grace said smugly, rising from his lap once more and extending her hand. This time, Oliver took it, following her to the sitting room in order to eat some breakfast before they departed for Boston.

* * *

><p>Grace and Oliver made the train with only minutes to spare and were once again settling into a compartment. Oliver sighed loudly as he sank back into the seat. His energy had begun to wane and his head was pounding again. He closed his eyes and began to rub the middle of his forehead, trying to ease some of the pain, until Grace stilled his hand with her own. She shifted to the very end of the seat, gently pulling on Oliver's hand.<p>

"Take off your jacket and lie down," she instructed. He did as she asked, handing his jacket to her after he shrugged out of it. Grace folded it and laid it on the seat across from her, then slid back into her own seat as Oliver lay down, positioning his head in her lap. She began to massage his temples and his forehead and Oliver groaned.

"That feels wonderful," he said quietly, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Take a nap, Oliver," Grace said.

"No, no," he insisted. "You wanted to talk."

"We can talk later, we'll have plenty of time," Grace replied. "Just go to sleep."

"Well, maybe for just a few minutes," Oliver began, his voice trailing off at the end of his sentence. Grace smiled, continuing to rub his head as he drifted off to sleep.

When Oliver awoke, he felt rested and the pounding in his head had dulled to a slight ache that he hardly noticed. Grace smiled at him as he sat up, looking outside to try and place where they were. He frowned as he looked out the window.

"How long was I asleep?" he inquired.

"Oh, awhile," Grace answered vaguely.

"Where are we exactly?" he asked.

"I believe we're nearing Albany," Grace said.

"Albany?" Oliver replied, gaping at her. "Grace, I've been asleep for hours!"

"Well, you obviously needed it," Grace explained.

"But you've just been sitting here all that time? You haven't gotten any lunch," Oliver protested.

"I'm fine, Oliver," Grace said, putting a hand to his cheek. "Missing one lunch isn't going to hurt anything."

"Still, you should have woken me," Oliver insisted, grasping her hand and kissing her palm.

"And you shouldn't worry so much," Grace responded, kissing him lightly on the lips. "Now, do you want something to eat?"

"No, I'm fine," Oliver said.

"Then, perhaps we should have that talk," she said quietly.

"Yes, I suppose so," Oliver agreed. Instead of explaining however, he just sat and looked out the window of the train. Grace waited patiently, letting him gather his thoughts, but when several minutes passed in silence, she put a hand to his arm.

"Oliver?' she asked, searching his face for some type of clue as to his hesitation.

"I'm just not sure where to begin," he admitted.

"Why don't you tell me what happened last night," she suggested. "You seemed fine at dinner." Oliver nodded.

"Everything was fine at dinner," he said. "It wasn't until the waiter brought the bill and I saw the date that I realized."

"Realized what?" Grace asked, when he didn't seem inclined to continue. Oliver sighed and ran a hand down his face.

"Yesterday was, or would have been, Peter's birthday," he said quietly.

"Oh Oliver," Grace said, taking her hand in his and giving it a squeeze. She knew the pain that birthdays brought. She was never quite herself when either of her parents' birthdays came around. He smiled faintly at her, bringing their joined hands to his lips and kissing the back of hers.

"After seeing Elizabeth, it made me think of how many of their birthdays I had missed. And how I would never get a chance to celebrate any of Peter's ever again," he said sadly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Grace asked.

"I don't know," Oliver said. "I didn't want to upset you. Fine job I did of that, anyway." He smiled at her ruefully. Grace took both his hands in hers.

"Oliver," she said. "I'm your wife. We're supposed to lean on each other and share things, even the painful ones." He nodded, but didn't meet her gaze.

"I know that, I do," he began. "I just have a hard time remembering. I've never had anyone else to rely on, only myself." He looked up at her then, his eyes unsure and hesitant. Grace realized that even though he was a grown man, Oliver's emotions were sometimes very much those of a 12 year-old boy. He had closed himself off to everyone for such a long time, and had such poor role models, that he really hadn't stood a chance of knowing what a real relationship was all about, let alone how to act in one. Grace definitely had her work cut out for her.

"Oliver, listen to me," Grace said, making sure he was looking her in the eye before she continued. "I want you to talk to me about these things. Don't push me away or pretend everything's fine or go and drown yourself in scotch. Please promise me you'll talk to me." She looked at him earnestly and Oliver stared back at her for a moment before nodding his head. He gathered her to him, sealing his promise with a soft kiss. She caressed his cheek when they broke apart, kissing him again lightly, before hugging him once more.

"Do you want to talk about what got you so upset?" Grace asked. "Surely it was more than just his birthday." Oliver sighed.

"It was guilt," he said, shrugging nonchalantly, but looking defeated. "Guilt that I never went back, guilt that I left in the first place, guilt that I never really knew Peter and now I won't get the chance to. He was only 8 when I left." Oliver trailed off, looking back out the window, but not focusing on the scenery. "And I'm afraid," he said so quietly that Grace almost didn't hear him.

"Afraid of what?" she asked, puzzled.

"Afraid that Elizabeth won't give me a chance. I know I can never make it up to her, but I want the chance to know her and move forward. I want to know my nieces and nephews." He paused and looked at Grace, sadness in his eyes. "I miss my sister, Grace. I don't think I even knew how much until I saw her at the wedding. I want her back." His voice broke on the last word and Grace gripped his hands tighter, as she looked him in the eye.

"Then we'll get her back," she promised, hugging him tightly to her once again.

* * *

><p>After eating dinner on the train, they arrived in Boston a few hours later. They took a taxi to the hotel where Grace had reserved a room for them and quickly checked in and dropped off their luggage. Although the train had arrived on time, it was still well after dinner by the time they were ready to travel to Elizabeth's house.<p>

"Perhaps we should wait until tomorrow," Oliver said as they made their way back to the lobby of the hotel to find another taxi.

"Do you really want to wait because of the hour or are you just nervous about seeing her?" Grace asked and Oliver looked at her guiltily. Grace smiled and took his hand.

"It will be all right," she reassured him as they stepped into the taxi. Grace gave the driver the address and they arrived twenty minutes later on a quiet, tree-lined street, populated with modest houses. Elizabeth's home was a two-story with a small porch, complete with a porch swing. Flowerboxes were grouped along the porch's railings and small, neatly trimmed bushes lined the front. It looked very pretty and inviting as Grace and Oliver climbed the steps to the front door. Grace rang the bell and squeezed Oliver's hand in support as they waited for someone to answer the door.

A minute later, it was opened by a boy who looked to be about Annie's age. He looked at them curiously as Oliver's knees seemed to buckle and Grace grasped his arm tightly to keep him upright. She looked at Oliver in concern, taking in the blank stare on his face before readdressed her attention to the boy that had answered the door.

"Hello," Grace said politely, smiling at him. "Is your mother at home?" The boy looked at Oliver for another moment before returning his attention to Grace. He nodded quickly, then turned toward the interior of the house.

"Mum, someone's at the door for you," he yelled. Grace smiled to herself as she heard Elizabeth muttering to the boy as she approached, only catching the tail-end of her reprimand.

"…told you not to yell in the house. Where are your manners?" Elizabeth finished as she came into view, wiping her hands on her apron. At the sight of Oliver and Grace standing on her front porch, her breath caught and she brought a hand to her mouth. Grace opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the boy, as he put a hand on his mother's arm.

"Mum," he began, looking at her concern on his face. "Are you okay?" She stared for another moment, then seemed to collect herself and patted the boy on the head.

"I'm fine, Joe," she said, smiling at him. "Just a bit surprised is all." Joe looked from Oliver and Grace to his mother, not seeming at all convinced.

"Maybe I should get Dad," he said, looking at Oliver warily. Grace elbowed Oliver lightly in the side, he hadn't stopped staring at Joe since he had come to the door. Oliver shook himself, glancing at Grace. She smiled encouragingly at him, then he turned to Elizabeth.

"Hello, Elizabeth," he said, a smile plastered on his face that Grace knew was forced. Elizabeth nodded to him and to Grace.

"This is quite a surprise," she said, stepping back from the doorway. "Please, come in." Oliver and Grace stepped into the house as Elizabeth turned back to Joe.

"Go and get Catherine for me, would you?" she asked him. Joe seemed reluctant to leave his mother with the strangers that had evoked such a response from her, but finally nodded and left the room. As soon as he was out of ear shot, Oliver looked at Elizabeth.

"I can't believe how much he looks like," but Elizabeth interrupted him before he could finish his thought.

"Yes, I know. Forgive me for being rude, but what are you doing here?" she asked, her voice bordering on shrill. Oliver opened his mouth to answer, but Grace stilled him with a hand on his arm.

"Elizabeth, please don't blame Oliver, this was entirely my idea," Grace said. "I'm sorry that we didn't call first, but I was afraid that you would refuse to see us." Grace bit her lip at the sharp look Elizabeth gave her. Before Elizabeth could respond, a man entered the hall, looking curiously at the visitors.

"Joe mentioned we had company," he said, coming to stand at Elizabeth's side. "I didn't know you were expecting anyone." Elizabeth sighed.

"I wasn't," she said, glancing back at Grace. Grace looked away, face slightly reddening, then collected herself and smiled at the man standing next to Elizabeth. "This is Oliver and Grace Warbucks," Elizabeth said, motioning to the two of them. "My husband, Frank."

"Warbucks?" Frank said in surprise. "Then, this is,"

"My brother, yes," Elizabeth interrupted. "And his new wife." Grace held out her hand and saw Oliver do the same.

"Pleased to meet you," she said, smiling at Frank and Oliver greeted him as well. At that moment, a girl entered the room. She was taller than Elizabeth, almost as tall as Frank, with golden blond hair and the most piercing blue eyes Grace had ever seen.

"Mum, you needed me?" the girl asked. This must be Catherine, Grace thought to herself, but was baffled as to how the two people in front of her could have produced such a child. Frank had an olive complexion and black hair and brown eyes and while Elizabeth's hair and eyes were lighter, she was nowhere near as fair skinned as her daughter. Both were of average height and build, but Catherine was tall and willowy and looked to Grace as if she would be even taller before she was finished. Grace looked quickly at Oliver, but he hadn't seemed to notice.

"Catherine, why don't you take your brothers and sister down to the store and get an ice cream for everyone," Elizabeth told her. At Catherine's puzzled expression, Elizabeth continued. "Some old acquaintances of mine have arrived and I need to speak to them for a bit." Elizabeth indicated Grace and Oliver with a sweep of her hand.

"Of course Mum," Catherine replied, but looked back at Oliver and Grace with the same puzzled look on her face. Elizabeth smiled at her and Frank kissed her cheek as she left to gather her siblings. Grace looked at Elizabeth and then at Oliver, who were both staring at each other, seemingly oblivious to anyone else in the room.

"Frank," Grace said, stepping around Oliver to Frank's other side. "Perhaps you and I should join the children. Give Oliver and Elizabeth a chance to talk." Frank glanced at his wife, who gave a small nod.

"Are you sure, sweetheart?" he asked, moving closer to Elizabeth and slipping an arm around her waist. Elizabeth patted his cheek lovingly and smiled at him.

"I'll be fine," Elizabeth said. Frank nodded and turned to Grace, just as there was a loud clattering of feet behind them, four children hurrying down the staircase.

"Mum, we get to go for ice cream?" Joe yelled as he ran into the room. Elizabeth gave him a stern look and he stopped short in front of her, his face reddening. "Sorry Mum," he said quietly. Elizabeth chuckled, as did Grace, a certain red-head coming to mind.

"Joseph, will you ever learn to mind your manners?" Elizabeth asked exasperatedly, but there was a twinkle in her eye and a smile on her lips as she looked at her youngest child. He shrugged his shoulders in response, to which she just shook her head.

"Come on, son, before you mother changes her mind," Frank put an arm around the boy and led him to the front door, the other three children followed behind. Grace turned to Oliver, pulling him aside for a moment.

"Do you want me to stay?" she asked quietly, searching his face. "I'm sorry, I should have asked you first."

"No, I'll be fine," he insisted. "I need to do this by myself. Besides, I don't think Elizabeth is exactly happy with you right now."

"I supposed you're right about that," Grace agreed, glancing side-long at Elizabeth. "Do tell her I'm sorry again, won't you?"

"Of course I will," Oliver replied. "Don't worry, no one can stay angry with you for long." He smirked at her as she rolled her eyes. Then she kissed him gently.

"We won't be long," she promised, squeezing his hand before she followed Elizabeth's family out the door.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N - Another chapter four whole days early! Just don't expect this all the time. ;) If you have a minute, please drop me a review and let me know what you think! **

Oliver and Elizabeth stood looking at each other uncomfortably until Oliver finally broke the silence.

"You have a wonderful family," he said, smiling at her tentatively. Elizabeth returned the smile with a genuine one of her own.

"They definitely keep me on my toes, but I wouldn't trade any of them," she smiled at the door her brood had just left through.

"They call you Mum," Oliver observed, a small grin on his face.

"Yes, well, that was completely Frank's doing," Elizabeth laughed. "He thought it was sweet, so he taught Catherine to say it and it just sort of stuck. I must admit, I do like it. Mom, just seems so, oh I don't know, odd sounding to me." Oliver chuckled.

"Please, come in and sit down," she said, moving into the living room and gesturing Oliver to the sofa. "Can I get you something to drink?" she asked.

"Don't trouble yourself," Oliver said. "I'm fine."

"Nonsense," Elizabeth insisted. "I've got coffee made and tea will only take a moment."

"Coffee's fine," Oliver replied. Elizabeth nodded then retreated to the kitchen. Oliver walked around the room, looking at the photos on the mantel and the pictures on the walls. Elizabeth entered a few moments later with coffee and cookies on a tray, setting it down on the coffee table. Oliver sat down on the sofa, taking the cup Elizabeth handed him and taking a small sip before setting it down on the end table.

"I still can't get over how much your Joe looks like Davey," Oliver remarked, glancing up at Elizabeth. She nodded.

"It's strange, but I didn't realize it until he was about six years old. I suppose it was because I was so much younger than the both of you, I didn't know what he looked like as a baby," she paused and seemed to swallow audibly. "It's been hard recently, now that Joe's the same age as when, well, you know." Oliver nodded sadly.

"Yes, I'm afraid I scared him a bit with my reaction when he opened the door," Oliver said. "I couldn't seem to stop staring at him."

"Well, if I know Joe, I'm sure he's forgotten all about it already. Ice cream can do that to him," she chuckled. There was another pause as they each sipped their coffee in silence.

"I'm sorry we just showed up like this," Oliver began. "Grace can be very tenacious when she's convinced something is a good idea."

"So I've noticed," Elizabeth said wryly. "You know she called me no less than four times when she was trying to convince me to come to the wedding. I finally said yes just so I didn't have to keep getting up to answer the phone." They both laughed.

"Yes, well, sometimes it's a good thing. I don't know if we would have ended up married if she wasn't that way." Oliver admitted. Elizabeth nodded and looked down at her lap.

"Oliver, perhaps you should say what you came here to say," she said quietly. "Frank won't be able to keep the children away for long." Oliver took a deep breath, studying his coffee cup, trying to decide how to begin.

"Yesterday I did a very stupid thing," he said. Elizabeth looked at him quizzically. "I'm sure you know the significance of the day." She nodded, sadness in her eyes. "Well, I chose to deal with it by coming home from dinner and getting drunk in my hotel room while my wife slept." Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at him, remembering their father no doubt.

"Yes, I know it was stupid, you don't have to tell me," he said, holding up a hand to hold off the tirade he was sure Elizabeth was about to go on. "I still don't know all that I said when Grace found me and tried to get me to bed, I don't know if I was even making any kind of sense. But, I must have said something because when I woke up this morning, our bags were packed and we had tickets on the train to Boston." Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and Oliver nodded, chuckling a bit. "Yes, she works that quickly."

"That still doesn't tell me what exactly you're doing here," Elizabeth said. Oliver sighed. He knew this part of the conversation was not going to be easy.

"I know there's nothing I can do or say to make up for all the years that have passed," Oliver said quietly. "But I miss you Elizabeth. We're the only family we have left." She glanced up quickly at him, wondering if he knew something she didn't. He held up a hand. "The only family that matters, anyway. I want to say I'm sorry and ask if you'll forgive me and we can move forward." He looked at Elizabeth, but she looked down at the coffee cup on her lap. She seemed to be struggling with what to say.

"Oliver, I," she paused, sighing deeply, setting her cup on the table and clasping her hands together. "Like I told you at your wedding, I don't know if I can give you what you want. I don't know that sorry is enough." She looked up at him then, catching his gaze. He saw the hurt in her eyes, but there was something else as well. Oliver remembered their talk in the library and what he'd asked her that she refused to answer.

"You still blame me," he said, returning her stare. She seemed about to speak, then sighed and looked away.

"It doesn't matter," she said.

"It does," Oliver insisted. She sat, rigid for a moment, then turned back to look at him, anger flaring in her eyes.

"Fine, yes I blame you. I blamed you then and I blame you still," she said. "You abandoned us and never looked back. Is that what you want me to say?"

"If it's the truth," Oliver replied. Elizabeth stared at him, then stood, turning toward the window, her back to him, arms crossed in front of her.

"I suppose it is," she said. "As much as I've tried to forget about it, to forgive you, I suppose I still haven't." Oliver ran a hand over his head, trying to figure out how to make her understand why he had left.

"You don't know what it was like, after Davey died," Oliver said, looking down at his hands in his lap.

"Don't I?" she shot back, turning around to look at him again. "He was my brother too, Oliver."

"Fine, you don't know what it was like for **me**," Oliver said. "He was my **twin**, Elizabeth. And you were so young."

"So that means it was easier for me?" she asked, somewhat incredulous. "I lost two brothers that day Oliver. I lost both of you. You changed." She held up a hand as he opened his mouth to protest. "I know, of course you changed, we all did. But Oliver, you were always the one constant for all of us. You were always there, always took care of us when Dad and sometimes even Mum, couldn't or wouldn't. I was four, Oliver, **four** when Davey died. I didn't understand, all I knew was that both my big brothers were gone, even if you were still there physically. And then I lost you all over again, the day you got on that ship." She trailed off, shaking her head.

"Don't you understand, I had to go," Oliver said, his anger coming to the surface. "I couldn't stand to be at home for one more minute. I was so angry then, so hurt. I know I didn't handle things the way I should have, but I was a child, Elizabeth, just like you were. Yes, I always took care of all of you, but who was there to take care of me? All I wanted to do was run as fast and as far away from the hurt as I could."

"I understand, more than you know," Elizabeth said quietly. "If I could have run, I would have done the same. But I was six years old, Oliver. All I knew was that I'd already lost one brother and now another one was leaving me too. Mum cried every night for months after you left. Dad, well I'm sure you can imagine what he did." She shook her head in disgust. "Peter and I, we used to talk at night, after Mum had put us to bed. We used to try and imagine where you were, what you were doing. Peter was sure you'd come back. That you wouldn't stay away forever. I thought so too, for a while. But the longer you were gone, the more I realized that you were never coming back."

"I sent letters and eventually I sent money. I never heard anything back. After a few years I stopped writing. Why didn't she ever answer me?" Oliver asked, almost pleading.

"I found your letters after Mum died, she kept them all in a box, but she never showed them to Peter or me. But there were only a handful Oliver, and there was never any extra money that I saw. Dad must have gotten some of them first and kept them. I'm not sure why she didn't write you back." Elizabeth shrugged, as if resigned, but Oliver's anger boiled to the surface again.

"Bastard," he muttered under his breath. Elizabeth glanced at him, but didn't respond.

"A few years before she died, I wrote one last time. It had been a few years since I'd contacted her, but I told Mother I wanted her to come to America, to bring the two of you with her. I told her I'd book the passage for all of you and take care of you once you got here. The only condition was that she not tell our father," Oliver very nearly spat the word. "I never heard anything back from her. Maybe she didn't get that letter either. But, when she didn't respond, I thought she didn't want to have anything to do with me. I stopped writing for good after that." Elizabeth stared at him as he shrugged.

"When was this exactly?" she asked.

"I was 20, I had my own company by then and I was well on my way to being successful," Oliver replied.

"That explains that then," Elizabeth said quietly.

"Explains what?" Oliver asked, confused.

"When I was 14, Dad stopped drinking. He came home every night after work, we had plenty to eat, he even bought Mum a new dress. He spent time with Peter and I, took us to watch the ships coming into the harbor, bought us candy at the market. I didn't understand it at the time and it only lasted a month or two before he went back to his same old ways, but it makes sense now. He must have taken the letter or Mum showed it to him." Elizabeth shook her head. "He was afraid she would really do it, so he changed for her. For a little while anyway." Oliver stared, unable to speak for a moment, trying to picture his father sitting down with them for dinner every night, even if it was short-lived.

"But why didn't she contact me then, once he had proven to her he was the same selfish bastard he'd always been?" Oliver asked, scorn in his voice.

"You really thought she would take us and go halfway around the world? Alone?" Elizabeth asked, incredulous.

"She wouldn't have been alone, the two of you would have been with her. You were both teenagers by then, it wouldn't have been difficult." Oliver insisted. "And I would have taken care of all of you once you were here. This was well before the war started. If she had just come, Peter would still be here! And maybe Mother too." He slammed his fist down on the end table in anger, rattling the coffee cup in its saucer. Elizabeth shook her head, a rueful smile on her face.

"You honestly thought she would leave Dad?" Elizabeth asked.

"Why not? Reforming for a short while doesn't make him a father or a husband. He was trash, nothing more," Oliver finished, disdain clearly written on his face. Elizabeth stared at him for a moment, shock evident in her expression. She held no illusions about her father, there had been no love lost between the two of them, but the vehemence of Oliver's words still surprised her. Oliver had clearly channeled all of his childhood anger into the man, while Elizabeth simply felt sorry for him.

"She was in love with him," Elizabeth said simply. "I think she knew she should leave him, but I don't think she could. She loved him too much. And I know he was a horrible husband and a worse father, but in his own way, he loved her too. I saw them sometimes, after Peter was gone and when Mum got sick. He did love her Oliver." Oliver snorted in disgust. If that was how the man expressed his love, he would have hated to be his enemy. Elizabeth turned back to the window and stared outside, while Oliver studied his hands, knowing she wasn't finished with him yet.

"How did you find out? About Peter and Mum I mean," she asked.

"Old Mrs. Shaw," Oliver responded. Elizabeth turned and smiled at the mention of their old neighbor. "Apparently, her nephew moved to the States shortly after I left. He'd sent her a newspaper article about me, something from the Times, since she knew our family. After Peter," Oliver broke off, his breath hitching. Once he had composed himself he continued. "And then when Mother got sick, she sent me a letter. Well, she sent it to the newspaper actually, hoping I would get it. With the war, mail service wasn't all that reliable, I didn't get it until almost a year later. By then Mother was gone too." Elizabeth looked at him questioningly. "I had someone look at the records, to find out what happened to Peter and they told me about Mother." Elizabeth nodded, then turned back to the window, her arms crossed in front of her. There were a few moments of silence before she spoke again.

"Why didn't you come back?" Elizabeth asked quietly. Oliver looked up, but she hadn't turned from the window. "If you wanted us to come and live with you, why didn't you come back?" In truth, Oliver had no answer for this question. Why hadn't he returned to try and convince his mother? It was in part because he felt rejected by his family, never hearing from them in spite of the letters he had written, as well as the fact that he was still angry about everything that had happened with Davey. But there was more to it, Oliver knew.

"I don't know why I didn't come back," Oliver admitted. Elizabeth took a deep breath and turned to face Oliver.

"Perhaps it was because you really didn't want us in your life anymore," she said. "Maybe you sent that letter knowing that Mum would refuse and then you could go on with your life feeling no guilt that you left us all behind. Maybe you just didn't care enough."

"Now wait just a minute," Oliver began angrily, but Elizabeth interrupted him.

"No you wait, Oliver," she said shortly. "You show up here, wanting my forgiveness, wanting to move on, but how can we do that if you're not honest with me? I've thought about this so many times over the years and it's the only thing that makes sense to me. If you really cared you would have come back, you would have fought for us, you would have done everything you could to make Mum understand. And if that still didn't work, you would have at least taken Peter and me with you." Tears were making their way down her cheeks now, as Oliver stared at her, stunned.

"You can't honestly think that I didn't care about you, that I stopped loving you," Oliver said shakily. He stood and went to Elizabeth, but when he tried to put a hand on her arm, she shrugged him off, moving away from him.

"Just don't, Oliver," she said, crying harder now. "It's too late." He stood, looking at her helplessly, her words like arrows piercing his heart, not because they weren't true, but because Oliver was terrified that they were. He knew he had never stopped loving his family, but had he hardened his heart so much that he stopped caring? Had he brushed them aside when they became too much of an inconvenience? Had he done just enough to convince himself that he had tried, that it was their fault, not his own? The sinking feeling in his stomach led Oliver to believe that he had done just that. He once again tried to approach Elizabeth, but she moved away from him once again, shaking her head.

"Elizabeth, please," he begged, reaching out a hand to her. She turned away from him and he dropped his arm and head in defeat.

"Please, just go," she whispered as they heard noises outside. Elizabeth quickly swiped a hand across her face, turning away from the door as Grace and Frank came through. Oliver looked up, the anguish plain on his face. Grace crossed to him and took his hand in hers, looking at him in concern. Frank looked between Oliver and his wife, before turning to Oliver and Grace.

"I think it's time you left," Frank said quietly, but in a tone that left no room for argument. He crossed the room and took his wife in his arms, as she began to shake with sobs. "And don't come back." Grace nodded in response, tears bright in her own eyes, then pulled Oliver toward the door. He took one last look at Elizabeth.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, then followed Grace out the door as a single tear escaped his eye, making a silent track down his cheek.

* * *

><p>Grace towed Oliver to the corner store she and Frank had taken the children to for ice cream and had the grocer call them a taxi. She kept her hand in Oliver's as they waited, but he refused to speak to her. He stared, stone-faced into the distance, the wet track from his tear the only evidence of emotion on his face. Grace put an arm around his waist and laid her head on his shoulder, but she might as well have been hugging a statue. He stood rigid, not acknowledging her, even as they climbed into the taxi. Grace gave the driver the hotel address and looked at Oliver, trying to catch his eye. He stared out the front window, giving no indication he even knew she was with him. When they reached the hotel, Oliver paid the driver mechanically and stepped from the taxi, waiting for Grace to emerge, still saying nothing.<p>

It wasn't until they reached their room that Oliver showed any kind of emotion. As soon as Grace closed the door, he grabbed her and pulled her to him, hugging her so tightly, she could barely breathe.

"Oliver," she gasped out. "Let go." He loosened his grip, but didn't release her, instead, buried his face in her neck, running a hand up her back to tangle in her hair. Grace rubbed his back and placed a kiss on his cheek. They stood that way for a few minutes until Oliver raised his head and kissed her. It was nothing like his normal kisses, it was hard and fast, crushing teeth and stabbing tongues. She felt the despair rolling off of him and knew then, that whatever had happened with Elizabeth was much worse than Grace suspected. She let him continue the assault on her mouth, for that's essentially what it was, not really minding his forcefulness, until he clutched her arms so tightly, she thought sure they would bruise.

"Oliver," she said, breathless, breaking the kiss. "You're hurting me." He immediately stopped, letting go of her so quickly, it was as if she'd burned him. He looked at her, horrified.

"I'm sorry, I," he said, backing away from her. The backs of his legs hit the edge of the sofa and he sank down onto it, face in his hands. Grace absent-mindedly rubbed her arms as she moved to sit beside him. He inched away from her just a bit, but it was enough for Grace to know he was appalled with himself and his behavior.

"Oliver," she said softly, leaning into him again. "It's all right. I'm fine, look." He shook his head, refusing to look at her, but allowed her to put an arm around his back and lay her head on his shoulder. They sat in silence for a few moments until Grace took Oliver's hands away from his face.

"Please, talk to me," she said, grasping both his hands in hers and kissing his fingertips. Oliver looked at her, misery on his face, but didn't answer. She let go of his hands and put her palm to his cheek. He allowed her to, but still didn't move. She leaned forward and kissed him gently until he responded, finally wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer. They kissed for a long time until he pulled away from her, pain and desire warring in his eyes.

"Please Grace," Oliver said, beseechingly. "I need you." She kissed him again quickly, then stood and took his hand, leading him into the bedroom. She sat him on the bed and proceeded to try and soothe his pain, to take all his anguish into herself, trying to relieve him of the burden he carried. He clung to her and her strength like a drowning man clings to a life raft, taking everything she was offering and allowing himself to forget for just a little while and revel in the joy that was his wife. Afterward, he lay with his head on her chest, the sheets tangled around them, and he told her everything that had happened with Elizabeth.

"And now it's too late," he finished, his voice shaky. "I've lost her for good."

"Don't say that," Grace insisted. "Just give her some time, she'll come around." But Oliver shook his head.

"No, it's done. I need to face it and move on," he said sadly. Grace kissed the top of his head, stroking his back with one hand.

"Maybe I should," she began, but was interrupted before she could finish.

"No!" Oliver demanded. "No, you need to leave it alone Grace, please." He had looked up at her as he said this, looking into her eyes. Grace bit her lip and then nodded slightly. Oliver sighed and rolled to his side, drawing her back against him, his arms around her waist. He kissed her shoulder and snuggled himself against her, his face buried in her hair, and slept.

Grace waited, until she heard his breathing even out and felt his arms go limp around her, and then she slowly extricated herself from his embrace, pulling the covers up over him. She dressed quickly, writing a short note to Oliver and picking up her purse. She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, running a finger down his cheek.

"I'm sorry darling, but I have to make things right," she whispered before she slipped quietly from the room.

* * *

><p>Grace sat in the taxi, wondering if she had lost her mind, a small part of her thinking that she very definitely had. Frank had told them to stay away and Elizabeth hadn't wanted them there in the first place. But there was something bothering Grace, something nagging at the back of her mind that just didn't make sense to her. She understood Elizabeth's anger and blame toward Oliver, but the level of it seemed extreme, given the circumstances. It almost seemed to Grace as if there was something more, something Elizabeth wasn't saying. Oliver had just been a child when he had left them and it had been thirty years ago. Grace knew that some people could hold grudges for a very long time, but Elizabeth didn't seem the type.<p>

And while Grace was sure that Oliver had the opportunity to reconnect with his family once he was an adult, she knew why he hadn't. Feeling rejected by his mother, as well as his inability to allow anyone to get close to him, made him feel as if his siblings were better off without him. Grace knew she could make Elizabeth understand if Elizabeth would just talk to her. Grace just needed to explain what Oliver had been like before Annie had arrived. The more she thought about it, the more confident she became. Grace was the one that had started all of this by contacting Elizabeth in the first place, she would fix it. She had to.

Once the taxi turned onto Elizabeth's street, however, Grace began to lose her nerve. It was very late after all, almost midnight, and Grace didn't want to upset the children. When she and Frank had been with them, he had not explained the relationship between Oliver and Elizabeth to them. He had confided quietly to Grace, that Elizabeth rarely talked about her family. The children just assumed all of Elizabeth's brothers were dead.

As they approached the house, Grace decided that if there were no lights on, she would simply have the taxi take her back to the hotel. They pulled up in front of the house and Grace saw all was dark. Her heart sunk, but she knew she couldn't pound on the door and wake the whole household. She turned to the driver to apologize and ask him to take her back to the hotel, when a small point of light caught her eye. She looked back at the porch and saw a small circle of orange light, situated near the swing. Grace's brow furrowed as she concentrated on it, trying to determine what it was.

"Ma'am, are you getting out or not?" the cab driver asked her, when Grace continued to hesitate. She squinted at the porch once more and was convinced she saw the outline of someone sitting on the swing.

"Yes, I'm sorry, here," Grace said to the driver, thrusting some bills into his hand. Then she opened the door and slowly got out. She stood on the sidewalk as the taxi drove off, steeling her resolve. As she started up the front walk, she heard a small snort from the porch and glanced up quickly.

"Oliver said you were tenacious, but he didn't say you were daft as well," Elizabeth said quietly, as Grace climbed the porch steps. "If Frank finds out you're here," Elizabeth trailed off, shaking her head.

"I assume he'd have a similar reaction to finding you out here smoking," Grace replied dryly. Elizabeth looked up at her, surprised for a moment, then laughed quietly.

"It's too bad you're married to my brother," Elizabeth said. "I think we would have been great friends."

"We still could be," Grace said quietly, leaning back against the porch railing. Elizabeth shook her head, a wry smile on her face.

"Whatever you're here to say Grace, it won't matter," Elizabeth said tiredly. "I've made my choice, there's just too much, it's been too long." She turned slightly, stubbing the cigarette out on the arm of the porch swing.

"It doesn't have to be that way," Grace countered. "If you'll just give me a chance, I know I can make you understand." But Elizabeth shook her head.

"It doesn't matter," she said again.

"It does matter," Grace insisted. "He's your brother Elizabeth, he loves you."

"Do you have siblings, Grace?" Elizabeth asked.

"No," Grace answered.

"Then you don't understand, you can't," Elizabeth said. "You don't know what a betrayal like that feels like, what it means coming from your brother, the one person besides your parents that is supposed to love you unconditionally."

"Betrayal?" Grace asked incredulous. "Don't you think that's a bit harsh? Elizabeth he was a boy when he left you, twelve years old. He wasn't responsible for you, it wasn't his job to stay and take care of you. Surely you can see that."

"Of course I can, I know why he left and I understand it," Elizabeth replied. "But he never came back Grace, not even when he grew up and he could have. Do you know that Peter joined the army because of Oliver?" Grace looked at her, confusion on her face. "Peter looked up to Oliver so much and he believed for so long that Oliver would come back, that when he finally gave up, it almost broke him. He couldn't keep a job, started drinking like our father. Then the war came and he finally saw a purpose, something he could do. He thought Oliver would be proud of him. So he left me too." She smiled sadly. "He was killed a year later." Grace put a hand on Elizabeth's arm, but she waved it off.

"I don't want your pity, Grace," Elizabeth said.

"So you blame Oliver for Peter's death?" Grace asked.

"No, not really, not like you mean," Elizabeth sighed. "I know Peter made his own choices and his reasons for doing what he did weren't Oliver's fault. But I still can't help but think of it."

"Elizabeth," Grace began, "I know that you're hurt and you feel as if Oliver abandoned you, but even if he had come back, there's no guarantee your parents would have let you go. Do you really think your father would have allowed Oliver to take the two of you with him? Oliver told me that your mother never would have left your father."

"You're probably right," Elizabeth shrugged. "But he didn't even try."

"But he did try, he wrote to your mother, asking her to come," Grace said. "She didn't answer. As far as he knew, she had rejected him." Elizabeth opened her mouth in interrupt, but Grace held up a hand. "Please, let me finish. You don't know what he was like Elizabeth, before Annie. He wouldn't let anyone get close to him, he was ruthless, ran his life like he did his business, strict and orderly. There was no room for relationships, let alone love. That little girl saved him, just as I think Frank and your children saved you. I'm not saying what he did was right, but he did the best he could."

"Maybe his best wasn't good enough," Elizabeth sighed, looking out into the darkness.

"Maybe," Grace said. "And maybe everything that's happened, all the hurt that you have both felt, maybe it's enough. Maybe it's time to stop blaming those children that were just doing the best they could in a terrible situation. Maybe it's time to let go." Grace looked at Elizabeth when she'd finished. She had bowed her head, looking down at her lap. When she glanced up again, her eyes were filled with tears. Grace knelt down in front of her and took Elizabeth's hands in hers.

"Let it go, Elizabeth. Forgive him, please," Grace begged.

"I can't," Elizabeth said, shaking her head.

"Why?" Grace asked, completely baffled by the other woman's stubbornness.

"Because," Elizabeth took a deep breath, then met Grace's gaze. "If he had come back, maybe things wouldn't have happened as they did. Maybe, if someone had been there, if someone had been looking out for me, maybe," she trailed off, looking away. Grace stared at her, a cold feeling of dread settling into the pit of her stomach.

"Grace," Elizabeth whispered. "Catherine, she," Elizabeth paused, biting her lip. "She isn't Frank's daughter."

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Yes, I know, bad, horrible cliffy! Sorry! I will try hard to get the next chapter out quickly! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N - A couple warnings about this chapter. First, there is a violence warning. It is not graphically written, but I have gone back and forth on whether I should bump up the rating from 'T' because of it. It is actually not how I intended the story to go, hence the initial rating, but once I started writing, it ended up this way. Which seems to happen to me quite often. Anyway, if you think the rating should be bumped up, please drop me a note or let me know in your review! Second, this is mostly a one-sided dialogue, Elizabeth telling her story. I started out writing it as a flashback, but it didn't really work how I wanted it to. So hopefully, it is not too boring this way. Happy Halloween! :)**

Grace sat back on her heels, feeling as though the wind had been knocked out of her. While she had seen the difference in Catherine's looks compared to the rest of her siblings and even her parents, Elizabeth's confession was nothing Grace would have ever expected. She stared at Elizabeth for a long moment, too shocked to say anything, until Elizabeth turned away from her.

"I shouldn't have told you," Elizabeth said quietly, a tremor in her voice. Grace shook her head as if to clear it, coming back to herself and the situation at hand.

"No, I'm sorry," Grace said, taking one of Elizabeth's hands in her own again. "I just never thought, I mean I she does look different, I just, does Frank know?" Grace knew she was babbling, but she couldn't seem to get her brain to work in tandem with her mouth.

"Yes, Frank knows," Elizabeth sighed, looking tired and drained all of a sudden. "But Catherine doesn't. My mother was blonde and Oliver has blue eyes, Davey did too. We've just told her she takes after my side of the family. She's never questioned it, until recently when she's started getting so tall. I'm not sure what we're going to tell her, there's no one on either side of the family she could have gotten that from." Grace stood and sat down beside Elizabeth on the porch swing.

"I'm sorry," Grace said, still a bit confused. "But I still don't see what this has to do with Oliver." Elizabeth sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"I never thought I'd tell this story again, never thought I'd even think of it again actually," Elizabeth said.

"You don't have to," Grace said gently.

"Yes, I do," Elizabeth said, resigned. "It's the only way to make you understand." Grace looked at Elizabeth expectantly.

"Shortly after Peter was killed in the war, my mother got sick. The doctors didn't have any answers for us, she just seemed to get weaker and weaker, nothing they tried worked. My father, well, I'm sure you know all of his problems," Elizabeth said, glancing up at Grace. Grace nodded.

"When Mum got sick, he seemed to change. Oh, he was still drinking, but he was at home more often, he sat by the bed for hours at a time, just watching her sleep. The way she would look at him when she was awake, touch his cheek, caress his face and he would kiss her hand, run his fingers through her hair, I felt like an intruder most of the time. I took to leaving, going down to the docks, walking in the park, anything to escape from the two of them. I felt very much alone. I'd never had a lot of friends, Peter and I had been inseparable most of the time. I spent more time with him and his friends than I did girls my own age. Most of the boys I knew had gone off to war with Peter. Many of them never came home again. The girls I knew had all managed to get themselves married, many of them had babies already. If things had been different, I might have been one of them. I always thought I'd marry Johnny Thompson. He was Peter's best friend and I knew he fancied me. But he and Peter went off to war together and then they died together." She paused, a sad smile on her face, remembering the two friends. She shook herself out of her reverie and continued.

"Mum didn't last for long, less than a year. When she passed, my father left and I didn't see him again for three weeks. When he came back, he looked horrible. In all the times I'd seen him come home drunk, I'd never seen him like that. He was broken, Grace. No matter how much I hated what he did and how he behaved, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. I got him into bed and took care of him as best I could. He laid in bed for weeks, though, so I had to get some kind of job so we could eat. America had just entered the war, Liverpool was a major port for troops and supplies and they had set up a barracks of sorts down at the docks. I went there, hoping there was something I could do, secretary work or something. I got lucky because they were bringing in more and more troops every day and they needed people to do secretarial work desperately, so they hired me."

"It was wonderful, I felt so independent, so grown-up, so needed," Elizabeth smiled genuinely for the first time since she had begun her story. "I took care of my father when I wasn't working and for awhile I thought that maybe we would grow closer, that maybe he would really change this time, now that it was just he and I." She paused, a derisive noise coming from the back of her throat. "I should have known once he was back on his feet, he would forget all I'd done for him." Grace shook her head sadly, unable to understand how a man could hurt his children again and again, with seemingly no remorse.

"He started leaving again," Elizabeth continued. "He'd be gone for days at a time. Then he'd stumble in one night demanding dinner or money or something. And then the times he would come home started becoming few and far between and pretty soon he was gone almost all the time. I'd go weeks without hearing from him and then I'd wake up one morning to see him passed out on the bed in Mum's room. But mostly, I was on my own. Mrs. Shaw, our neighbor, tried to get me to move in with her. She didn't think it was proper for a 19 year-old girl to be living in a flat basically by herself." Elizabeth chuckled at the memory. "But I refused, I liked being on my own."

"A few months after I'd started working, a new group of officers arrived. One morning, I was hurrying into the offices with an urgent message and I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I ran straight into someone and almost toppled over. He grabbed my arms to hold me up and when I looked up, I saw the most gorgeous man I'd ever laid eyes on, tall, blonde hair and piercing blue eyes." Elizabeth paused, taking a deep breath. "I was mortified, I stammered out an apology and tried to hurry past him, but I tripped over his foot and almost fell again. He caught me once more, laughing now, and I don't think I've ever been a darker shade of red. Then he said, 'I've heard of girls falling at your feet, but this isn't exactly how I pictured it.' I glared up at him, but he was smiling at me and I knew he was just teasing. I was smitten from that point on."

"After that, I made excuses to visit the offices, trying to catch a glimpse of him or maybe run into him again. I saw him a few times, but I was too terrified to approach him. He didn't seem to notice me, until one afternoon when I was on my way out with a message that needed to be taken to some of the officers that were staying in a nearby hotel. One of the officers called me back. **He** was there and he looked up with the oddest expression on his face when the other officer called my name. Once I'd gotten the other message I needed, he followed me outside. He said he'd heard the other officer call me Miss Warbucks and asked if I was related to Oliver Warbucks from America." Elizabeth paused and looked at Grace for a minute.

"You have to understand, at that time I had no idea where Oliver was or what he had been doing. As far as I knew, he had left and never had any further contact with anyone. I hadn't yet found the letters he sent. I was angry with him, but I was still curious as to what had happened to him. So I told him that yes, Oliver was my brother. He got this huge grin on his face and introduced himself to me, Lieutenant William Bennett from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He said he knew Oliver from some business he had done with William's father. Then he asked if he might call on me that evening. Of course I said yes." Elizabeth shook her head ruefully. But Grace was still thinking of the man's name, Bennett from Pittsburgh. It sounded very familiar to Grace, but she couldn't seem to remember where she'd heard it. She frowned, her brow furrowed, trying to place it, but then Elizabeth was speaking again and Grace pushed it to the back of her mind for the time being.

"Now, I knew what propriety dictated, that we should have a chaperone present, but right then I didn't really care. Like I said I was used to being on my own. I delivered my messages and rushed home to dress and ready myself, hoping that my father wouldn't make an appearance that evening. When William arrived, he was very proper. We sat outside the flat on a bench with the appropriate amount of distance between us and he never touched me until our third date and even then it was just a quick kiss on the back of my hand. I was smitten to be sure and as giddy as a school-girl about it. Mrs. Shaw would tut, tut to me every night I walked back into the building, but I ignored her. William was always appropriate, he respected me, of that I was sure."

"Things continued on and we grew closer. He often walked me home from work, talking me out to dinner sometimes. He grew bolder and would take to holding my hand whenever we were together and kissing me when he would leave. They were chaste kisses, but kisses nonetheless. Instead of sitting on the bench in front of my flat, we would go for walks in the park, and one night, he pulled me behind a tree and really kissed me for the first time. He pulled away after a minute and began apologizing for his forwardness, but I grabbed him and kissed him back. After that he would pull me into darkened offices at headquarters or an alleyway a few blocks between headquarters and my flat and kiss me breathless." Elizabeth looked up at Grace, her cheeks reddening. "You must think I was shameless."

"No, of course not," Grace replied, her own cheeks a bit pink remembering the night she and Oliver had slept in the pantry, as well as on his office sofa.

"Now, if I had been paying attention, instead of being as besotted as I was, I might have suspected something. William talked about Oliver constantly, his business and how he had risen to the top so quickly, all the influential circles Oliver moved in. But, as I said, I was curious and if truth be told, maybe a little desperate, for news of Oliver, so I never questioned why William talked about him all the time. I just soaked up all the information he gave me, always greedy for more. William asked me if we were close, if Oliver kept in touch and I lied and told him yes. Later when I thought about it, there was a peculiar glint in his eye when I told him that, but I didn't really notice at the time. I pretended that I already knew all the things William told me. I even told him Oliver was planning on coming to collect me once the war was over and that the only reason I wasn't in New York with him was because Oliver felt it was too dangerous for me to travel with the war going on. Why William didn't question how poor I was, when my brother was a millionaire, I don't know, but I think he saw what he wanted to see, just as I did." Elizabeth shook her head once again and muttered something under her breath that Grace couldn't hear.

"One afternoon, I went to William's office, even though I wasn't supposed to be working. I thought I'd surprise him, maybe convince him to leave early and come for a walk with me. He was in his office and when I knocked on the door, he looked angry, and, when I thought about it later, even a little bit disgusted to see me. He covered it quickly, going back to his normal sweet self, and at the time I decided that I'd been seeing things. There were other signs, things I thought back on later that I didn't, or chose not to, notice at the time, mostly looks or small movements away when I would touch him first. But, as I said, I didn't notice those things at the time. If I had," she trailed off for a minute, then took a deep, shuddering breath and continued.

"One evening William was walking me home from work, as he often did, and he pulled me into that alley I mentioned before. He kissed me, but it was different than it had been, rougher than usual and it lasted a lot longer. Whenever I tried to pull away, he just gripped me tighter. At first, it scared me, but then I seemed to lose myself a bit. He dragged me farther back into the alley, until we couldn't be seen from the street anymore and that's when I came back to my senses. I finally managed to pull away from him and asked him what he was doing. He got this sneer on his face and said, 'Just a little payback.' I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about and it must have shown on my face because he laughed at me and told me to ask my brother," Elizabeth paused, tears had begun to run down her cheeks again. Grace put a hand on her arm, her belly beginning to tighten in fear. She handed Elizabeth a handkerchief she had pulled from her purse. Elizabeth took it, wiping her eyes before continuing.

"And then," Elizabeth forced out a breath. "Then he, he forced himself on me. I tried to fight but he was so much stronger than I was. I tried to scream, but he clamped a hand over my mouth. I bit one of his fingers and he hit me so hard, I think I blacked out for a minute." Elizabeth was shaking now and Grace put a hand to her mouth in horror, the other still holding tightly to Elizabeth's hand. "When he was finished, he bent down and whispered in my ear, 'Tell your brother we're still not even, but it's a start' and then he walked away and left me there." Grace stared at Elizabeth, horror-struck, her own tears making their way down her face. Elizabeth gazed back at her, shame plain on her face, and Grace gathered the other woman into her arms, hugging her tightly. Elizabeth clung to her, body shaking with sobs, as Grace tried to soothe her as best she could. After a few moments, Elizabeth quieted and pulled away, not meeting Grace's eye.

"This is why Grace, why it's too hard for me to see Oliver," Elizabeth said, her voice still shaky. "Every time I see him, I remember. I remember William's words and why he did what he did. Because of what happened, I hold a horrible secret from my daughter, something I don't ever want her to find out, to know that her father was a monster," Elizabeth began to cry again, but the tears were silent this time.

"He's not her father," Grace said, vehemently. "No matter whose blood actually runs in her veins, he's **not** her father."

"I know that. I know that Frank is her father," Elizabeth said. "But that doesn't change the events surrounding her conception. All because of a business deal," Elizabeth spat. And then something clicked in Grace's mind and she knew, knew who William Bennett was and what he blamed Oliver for.

"The factory," Grace breathed. Elizabeth nodded curtly.

"Yes, the factory in Pittsburgh," Elizabeth said. "After Frank and I moved here, I did some research and found the story in the paper. Oliver bought the factory out from under William's father. The business had been in their family for years, but they overextended building the factory and it was now failing. Oliver offered an infusion of capital to keep it afloat, then replaced William's father as manager. He essentially took over a family business and then kicked them all out. William's father was never the same afterward. He drank himself to death a few years later."

"That all happened before I came to work for Oliver, but he's told me about most of it. William's father, Robert, was no business man," Grace explained. "William's grandfather, Jackson, started the business and it thrived. But, as much as tried to train his son, he had no business sense. Jackson stayed on as long as he could, but eventually he had to hand the reins over to his Robert. Jackson hoped that William could eventually take over, he seemed to understand things better than his father, but Robert had almost run the company into the ground by then. Oliver made the right decision replacing him. William wanted the job, but Oliver thought he was too young, so he offered him another job with the understanding he could work his way up, but William didn't want that. He was so angry and he blamed Oliver," Grace concluded. "And you were caught in the cross-fire." Elizabeth nodded sadly.

"I never knew why William came after me, instead of going after Oliver," Elizabeth said. "At the time I thought it was just being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but after some things I read, I wondered." Grace nodded.

"William did try to strike back at Oliver, he tried sabotaging the factory many times, but he was always caught or his attempt thwarted in some way. Oliver keeps very good staff around him, they don't miss much of anything," Grace explained. "I think William's mother sent him into the army, afraid that he would be sent to jail if he didn't stop. I suppose when he ran into you and you told him you and Oliver were close, he figured it would be a way to get back at him." Elizabeth simply nodded.

"Elizabeth, I'm so sorry," Grace said, "I can't even imagine what you must have gone through, but don't you see that this was not Oliver's fault. William is a horrible person and his issues with Oliver are his alone. Oliver didn't cause this to happen."

"My head knows that Grace," Elizabeth said. "But my heart doesn't always agree. What if Oliver had come back for us before the war? Or if he had come back for me when he heard about Peter's death? What if Oliver had just left that factory alone? Things could have been so different."

"What if William had never joined the army? What if he had been stationed somewhere else? What if you hadn't run into him that day in the office? What if you had told him you were estranged from Oliver? What if you'd never agreed to see William in the first place?" Grace said. "That's a lot of 'what ifs' Elizabeth and not all of them can be attributed to Oliver." Elizabeth looked at her, a sly smile on her face.

"What Oliver said about you is certainly true," she said. "You don't back down or let go of things, do you?"

"Not usually," Grace said, a bit defiantly. Elizabeth simply nodded in understanding.

"Elizabeth," Grace said, tentatively. "You know it does no good to live in 'what ifs'. It won't change what happened." Elizabeth stiffened slightly at Grace's words.

"I realize that Grace, but with all due respect, you have no idea what I went through," she said in clipped tones. "You can't come here and tell me what you think I should do and expect me to just follow along and thank you for your wisdom." Grace bit her lip. The last thing she wanted to do was alienate Elizabeth.

"I know that, I'm sorry," Grace apologized. "I didn't mean to offend you. I know it's not my place." Elizabeth sighed.

"I'm sorry as well. I know you love Oliver and you're just trying to help," Elizabeth gave Grace a sad smile.

"Will you tell me the rest?" Grace asked quietly. "What happened after?" Elizabeth looked at Grace for a moment, then nodded quickly.

"After he left me, I sat there for awhile, in disbelief, wondering how I could have been so wrong about him," Elizabeth answered mechanically, all emotion gone from her voice. "I tried to get up once, but I only made it half-way back to the street before I saw stars and had to sit back down. I'm not sure how long I sat there, but Frank found me." She smiled a bit. "He tried to help me up, but I shrank back from him and that, along with my appearance, made him realize what happened pretty quickly. He wanted me to go to the hospital, but I refused. I didn't want anyone to know. I finally allowed him to take my arm and he walked me home. I wouldn't let him come into the building with me, but Mrs. Shaw saw us and came outside. Frank left me with her and she took me into her flat and cleaned me up and tucked me into her bed. She kept asking me what had happened, although I'm sure she already knew, but I refused to talk to her. Frank came back the next day to check on me and the next day and the day after that, but I refused to talk to him either. He told Mrs. Shaw not to worry about my job, that he had told the officer in charge that I was ill. After the third day, I got out of bed, went back to my own flat, cleaned myself up and went back to work." Grace gasped, unable to fathom how Elizabeth could go back to work with William after what he had done.

"I'm not sure why I went back, besides the fact that I needed the money. I like to think it was because I wanted to show him he hadn't broken me, but I'm really not all that brave," she smiled sardonically. "I guess I just didn't know what else to do." Elizabeth shrugged. "Although I will say, it was worth it to see the look on William's face the first time he saw me. Sheer terror, until he masked it, as he was so good at doing. I'm sure he was afraid I would tell someone what he had done, although no one would have believed me, or if they had, they would have blamed me for it."

"Frank kept coming to check up on me and I started to feel so sorry for him that I finally sat down and talked to him one day. It became a daily ritual, he would come after work and we would sit and talk. He was funny and sweet, never tried to touch me, never talked about what happened. He became my friend." Elizabeth smiled, genuinely this time.

"Two months later, I found out I was pregnant," Elizabeth sighed. "It was the first time I didn't meet Frank. He came to my door and knocked, but I wouldn't let him in at first. He was persistent though and finally I opened the door and asked what he wanted. He could tell something was wrong and told me he wasn't leaving until I told him what it was. So I let him in and I told him. I thought he would leave, be as disgusted with me as I was with myself, but he didn't. He put a hand on my arm, the first time he'd ever touched me, and told me everything would be all right. When I started to cry, he took me in his arms and much to my surprise, I let him and we sat there for a very long time. I felt safe for the first time since Peter had left."

"He never tried to get me to tell him who the father was, but I often wondered if he already knew. It wouldn't have mattered if he had, I knew William would never claim his child, nor did I want him to," she shuddered at the thought. "The war was winding down by then and Frank came one day and told me he was being sent home in two weeks. I couldn't help it, I broke down, not knowing how I was going to make it. When I looked up, he was kneeling in front of me, ring in his hand. I was shocked. He told me he wanted me to come with him to America and he wanted to raise my baby as his own." Elizabeth trailed off, looking off into the distance, caught up in her memories. After a few minutes of silence, Grace spoke up.

"You said yes, of course," Grace prompted her. Elizabeth turned to Grace slowly, as if trying to remember where she was.

"Actually, I said no," she replied.

"But," Grace protested, trying to figure out what Elizabeth was talking about. "But, you're married and you're here." Elizabeth smiled indulgently.

"Yes, I am and we are," Elizabeth replied. "But I didn't say yes then. I thought Frank was throwing his life away. I wasn't in love with him and I didn't think he loved me, I thought he just felt sorry for me. I couldn't marry someone because they pitied me. So I said no. He was so shocked, he didn't say anything, just got up and left." She sighed. "I should have just said yes right then, it would have made things a lot easier." Grace looked at her questioningly.

"I waited for Frank the next day, although why I thought he would still show up, I'm not sure. He didn't of course, and I feel asleep on the couch waiting for him. Late that night my father came home. I hadn't seen him for almost three months. He was drunk as usual and when I saw him, I couldn't help it, I just started crying. Surprisingly, he asked me what was wrong and while I was shocked, I felt like a little girl who just wanted her daddy to hug her and tell her everything was going to be okay, so I told him everything. What a smart idea that was," Elizabeth snorted, twisting the handkerchief Grace had given her in her hands. Grace bowed her head, she could only imagine what the man had done and said. Elizabeth sighed.

"He called me a few names, which I won't repeat, then told me to get my things and get the hell out of his house," Elizabeth laughed ironically. "**His** house, the house he wouldn't even have anymore, had it not been for me. Still, there really wasn't anything I could do about it. So I packed all my things and left. Mrs. Shaw was waiting across the hall with her door open, of course she had heard everything. I gratefully stayed there for the night, but I left early in the morning while she was still asleep. I really had no idea what I was going to do, I just wandered through the city until I ended up at the docks. I sat there for most of the day, just watching the ships come in and go out. That's where Frank found me." She smiled then, remembering.

"He sat down next to me, not saying anything, just took my hand in his while we watched the boats. I remember thinking to myself how pleasant it was and how much I missed him when he wasn't around. And then I realized that maybe I did love him after all. I didn't think I was **in** love with him, but I did love him. I knew there was nothing left for me in Liverpool. But still, I couldn't say yes and saddle him with a wife and a baby, just because I had no other options. I told him as much and he gave me this little half-smile and said 'you don't get it do you?' I must have looked confused because he told me that he didn't ask me to marry him out of pity, he asked me to marry him because he loved me. Then, he put his hand on my stomach and he told me that he loved the baby too and he would do anything and everything to protect us and make sure I felt safe. I stared at him for a very long time, looking into his eyes, and I knew that he meant what he said." Elizabeth paused, a few tears in her eyes.

"Do you think that you can fall in love with someone in an instant?" Elizabeth asked, looking at Grace. Grace smiled and nodded, for she herself had done just that. "Because that's what happened with Frank. One minute he was just my friend and the next, just because of two simple sentences, I was completely and wholly in love with him. So I said yes and then picked me up and swung me around. I was so surprised that I struggled against him and he instantly put me down, apologizing the whole time. I was still very skittish around him, after what happened, and I wondered if he would be able to deal with that. I knew I wouldn't be able to," she reddened slightly. "At least not right awayv." Grace squeezed her hand in reassurance.

"Frank told me it didn't matter and he would wait as long as he needed to and I knew he meant it. We got married the next day, so I could stay with him until we had to leave. Because we were married and he was an officer, I was allowed to go with him on the troop transport and we came back here. And you know the rest," Elizabeth finished. She sat looking at her hands for a moment.

"You said earlier that you thought Frank and my children saved me, and you were right. They did. If Frank hadn't been the one to find me, I don't know what would have happened. And oh how he doted on Catherine when she was born," Elizabeth smiled. "He did that with all the children really, but the two of them have always had a special bond. I'm so lucky, Grace, so very lucky to have found Frank." Grace teared up at the other woman's heartfelt words, she felt the same way about Oliver.

"Elizabeth, I know what you said before about seeing Oliver, but," Grace paused, not wanting to upset Elizabeth again.

"Go ahead," Elizabeth said.

"Well, look at how your life has turned out. If things hadn't happened the way that they did, perhaps you would never have met Frank. I'm not saying that you should be happy about what happened to you or that it was meant to be, of course not, it was the most vile thing one human being can do to another," Grace shuddered. "But, everything that happened in your life, led up to all of this." Grace waved at hand at the house and all its occupants. Elizabeth sat in silence for a moment, looking out into the darkness.

"I know that you're right Grace, really I do," Elizabeth said. "It's just, seeing him brings up all those memories that I would rather forget. And I'm scared," she said, more quietly.

"Of what?" Grace asked.

"Of what he'll think of me, if he knew," Elizabeth admitted, her head hung low.

"You don't have to worry about that Elizabeth," Grace insisted. "Oliver would **never** have the reaction your father did."

"How do you know?" Elizabeth asked, sounding very much like a scared little girl. "He'll think I was improper, letting William kiss me like I did. Maybe he'll think," she trailed off, unable to finish her thought. Grace forced Elizabeth to look at her.

"Elizabeth he would never think that you deserved it or brought it on yourself, no matter what you did or didn't do before it happened," Grace said, keeping the other woman's gaze. "Never." Grace was adamant, her tone offering no room for argument. After a few moments, Elizabeth nodded. Grace hesitated and Elizabeth, seeming to sense it, looked at her questioningly.

"We've got one more day until we're expected home," Grace began. "Do you think," she paused. "Do you think that you would be willing to see Oliver again?" Grace continued before Elizabeth could interrupt. "Would you tell him what happened?"

"I can't tell him," Elizabeth said immediately.

"Why? I promise you he won't blame you," Grace reminded her gently.

"I know, I believe you about that, but," Elizabeth paused. "Can you honestly tell me he won't do something rash? Oliver had a temper even as a child, Grace." Grace bit her lip, she knew very well that's exactly what Oliver would want to do.

"I don't know, but I like to think that he loves Annie and me more than he would want revenge," Grace said quietly. Elizabeth sighed.

"Frank said something once, about going after William. After Catherine was born, it wasn't hard for him to figure out who her father was. I know he had seen William and I together and like I said, I think he suspected from the beginning anyway. I pleaded, I threatened, I cajoled, but he was hell-bent on revenge. The only thing that kept him from going was when I asked him if he really wanted William to know he had a child. That's all that stopped him Grace and he doesn't have a temper. He's sweet and kind, mild-mannered as they come. Can you say the same about Oliver?"

"Well, he is sweet and kind," Grace smiled. "But mild-mannered, no, even I can't claim that about him." She chuckled. "But Elizabeth, I don't feel right about keeping something like this from him. If he ever finds out and knows I knew?" She shook her head. If there was one thing Oliver couldn't tolerate, it was dishonesty.

"I know," Elizabeth sighed. "But, I can't tell him. Will you?" she asked Grace timidly. Grace exhaled slowly. This would probably be the hardest conversation she had ever had with her husband. She knew he would blame himself, besides being extremely angry.

"Do you know what happened to William after the war?" Grace asked. Elizabeth shook her head.

"He got shipped home a week or two before Frank did. Frank left the army shortly after we got home, but William was still in, as far as he knew. We never really looked, it's not as if either of us wanted anything to do with him," Elizabeth finished. Grace nodded, deep in thought. She knew Oliver could find William if he wanted to, she was almost positive that William still had shares in the company. The question would be how to keep Oliver from wanting to find him. Still, she looked at Elizabeth's fearful expression and knew she could not refuse.

"I'll tell him," Grace agreed. "Can I bring him by tomorrow, well actually, later today?" Grace smiled, as Elizabeth chuckled. It was nearing 2:00 in the morning.

"All right," Elizabeth agreed. "Why don't you come for lunch? I can send the children to the neighbor's for the afternoon." Grace nodded, hugging Elizabeth once again.

"Thank you," she said. "For trusting me." Elizabeth smiled and squeezed Grace's hand gently.

"I'm glad I did," Elizabeth said quietly and the two women embraced again.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N - Thanks to all who have reviewed so far! I wish you could all see the huge grin I have on my face whenever I read what you have to say. Hope you enjoy this next chapter! **

Oliver awoke, smiling at the feeling of Grace nestled up against him. He pulled her hair to the side and kissed her neck, but she didn't stir. He lay quietly next to her for a few more minutes before the events of the previous evening came rushing back to him. Sighing, he got out of bed, careful not to wake Grace, and donning a robe, went out into the sitting room.

He called room service requesting coffee and pastries be sent up to the room. Then, he paced, as he always did when there was a problem that needed solving, but unfortunately, this problem didn't seem to have a solution. He remembered Elizabeth's words of 'It's too late' and his heart broke once again. How could he have been so stupid, so selfish? As soon as he heard of Peter's death he should have searched for her. The man Oliver had hired to find out about Peter had found not only his mother's death certificate, but Elizabeth's marriage certificate as well. Oliver hadn't recognized Frank's name and an initial search of Liverpool yielded nothing. Oliver had given up after that, convincing himself that Elizabeth was fine and no longer needed him. He wished now, he had found her then. Hell, he wished he had ignored his mother's silence after his letter asking them to come to America and gone back to England to get them. Perhaps things would have been different.

As Oliver mused, he realized that quite a bit of time had passed since he had gotten up and Grace still had not awoken. He frowned, Grace was normally an early riser and it was nearly 9:00. Turning, he went back into the bedroom, but she was still in the same position, breathing softly and evenly. He smiled as he looked at her, she was so beautiful, and he still truly felt as if he were the luckiest man alive. As he turned to go back into the sitting room, a piece of paper on the nightstand caught his eye. He picked it up and realized it was from Grace. Puzzled, he opened it and read it, his mouth narrowing into a tight line of anger as he did so.

_Darling,_

_I know you asked me not to, but I have to try and make things right. I feel as if this is all my fault. Please don't be angry with me, but I've gone to see Elizabeth. I'll be back as soon as I can._

_All my love,_

_Grace_

Oliver looked back at his sleeping wife. She had gone, after he expressly asked her not to. Oliver knew Frank hadn't been kidding when he told them not to come back. What if he had called the police or worse yet, hurt Grace in some way? Frank had seemed pleasant enough, what little Oliver had seen of him, but one never knew. Oliver's anger faded a bit as fear replaced it. He crossed to the other side of the bed and looked Grace over, but she seemed no worse for wear. Still, he couldn't see all of her, although he thought she would surely have woken him when she returned, had she been injured in any way. Or would she? She had already shown him that she had no problem ignoring his wishes. Perhaps she would keep something like this from him as well. Oliver's anger resurfaced as he remembered Grace's nod when he had asked her to leave the situation alone. She had deliberately lied to him. Without realizing it, his hands had curled into fists, crumpling the paper his hand. The noise was rather loud in the otherwise silent room and Grace began to stir.

Grace woke up slowly, yawning widely. As her eyes fluttered open, she saw Oliver standing looking down at her and she smiled.

"Good morning," she said happily. Oliver said nothing, just continued to look at her. Grace frowned and rose up on one elbow, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she did so.

"Oliver, what's wrong?" she asked, concerned by the expression on his face. As she looked at him more closely, she realized he looked angry, no, he looked livid. "Did something happen?"

"I think you know the answer to that question," he replied, his voice hard. Grace looked at him, bewildered, until her eyes lit upon the piece of paper in his hand. Her heart sunk. She had forgotten to throw away the note when she returned the night before. Not that she had intended on keeping anything that had happened from Oliver, but she had planned on being able to explain everything to him herself.

"Oliver, let me explain," Grace began, but Oliver had no intention of letting her continue.

"You lied to me Grace," he said, "I specifically asked you to leave it alone and you agreed. Then you went behind my back anyway." His voice had slowly increased in volume throughout his tirade and he was now yelling.

"Oliver, please, keep your voice down," Grace admonished.

"I most certainly will not," Oliver thundered. "Why did you do this Grace? When I made it very clear I didn't want you to interfere? You've probably made things ten times worse now."

"Actually, I haven't, I," but Grace was once again interrupted, Oliver's outburst clearly unfinished.

"I can't believe you did this," Oliver continued. "You deliberately disobeyed me!" At this, Graces' jaw dropped open. Her own ire immediately soared and Grace was on her feet in an instant. Her hands on her hips, she stepped as close to Oliver as she could without touching him.

"Disobeyed?" she said in a low voice. "You did not just insinuate that I am to follow orders from you." Oliver backed up a half-step, visibly swallowing. While his own temper was legendary, Grace's was much more dangerous. She was patient and slow to anger, but once she had reached her limit, well, it wasn't an experience Oliver was anxious to repeat after having been on the receiving end once or twice.

"Now, Grace," he began in an attempt to soothe her.

"Don't you 'now Grace,' me," Grace replied, as she jabbed a finger into Oliver's chest. "I am not a child, Oliver, and I will not be treated as such. Disobeyed, indeed!" She crossed her arms in front of her, anger still very much evident on her face. Oliver sighed, knowing he was defeated.

"I'm sorry," he said, scrubbing a hand over his face. "I didn't mean it the way it sounded." Grace looked at him for a moment before relaxing her posture.

"Apology accepted," she said. "And I'm sorry too, for going to Elizabeth when you specifically asked me not to." Oliver nodded. Grace moved toward him again and he opened his arms to her. He embraced her tightly, then kissed her softly.

"Now, I do believe there are some things we need to discuss," he said, holding up the note Grace had left him.

"Yes, there are," Grace agreed. "What time is it?"

"A little after nine, why?" Oliver asked, puzzled.

"Just checking to see how much time we have before we're expected at Elizabeth's," Grace said, as she pulled on her dressing gown over her nightgown and walked into the sitting room, leaving an open-mouthed Oliver behind her once again.

Grace sat down on the sofa after pouring herself a cup of coffee from the tray that had been delivered before Oliver had found her note. After a moment, she realized that Oliver still hadn't joined her.

"Oliver," she called out, "Are you coming?" She leaned over the arm of the couch to look back into the bedroom and saw the incredulous look on his face. Grace chuckled, taking another sip of her coffee, as Oliver finally made his way back into the sitting room.

"Did you just say that we were expected at Elizabeth's?" he asked, still gaping at Grace.

"Yes," she said, smiling serenely at him.

"But, what, how?" Oliver sputtered and Grace laughed aloud. It wasn't often she caught Oliver tongue-tied.

"Why don't you sit down and I'll get to that in a moment," Grace said, smiling at him. Oliver sat on the couch and Grace passed him a cup of coffee before she began.

"I knew last night that you didn't want me to try and talk to Elizabeth again," she said. "But, I just couldn't leave it alone Oliver. I felt as if it was all my fault and I needed to try and do something to fix it." Oliver began to protest, but Grace held up a hand. "I know that you didn't blame me, but I blamed myself. So, once you were asleep, I got up and took a taxi back to her house."

"Grace, it must have been almost midnight by that time," Oliver protested.

"I know," Grace said. "I decided that if all the lights were out, I would come back, but I had to at least try, Oliver." He nodded and motioned for her to continue. "Elizabeth was out on the porch when I arrived, so I decided to take a chance."

"I don't imagine she was too happy to see you," Oliver said.

"Actually, I think she kind of expected it," Grace said sheepishly, while Oliver chuckled. "Anyway, I asked her to reconsider and she insisted she couldn't. I really couldn't understand it. I know that you hurt her when you didn't come back, but to hold onto all of that for as long as she has, just didn't make sense to me. Something told me that there was more, something she wasn't saying."

"I don't think there's anything else, Grace," Oliver said quietly, gazing unseeingly out the window. "I hurt her, very much, by leaving and never coming back or never checking up on her. I think she blames me for Peter's death. They were very close, ever since they were small. And then with our mother dying so shortly after, I think she was lost and just wanted me to find her. And I didn't," Oliver finished. "I let her down and I didn't even think twice about it." Grace set her coffee cup on the side table and took Oliver's from his hands as well. She turned toward him, taking both his hands in her own.

"Oliver, look at me," she said, gently. When he raised his eyes to hers, she continued. "What you say is true, you did hurt her and she was lost after Peter and your mother died. She was hoping you would come for her, but Oliver, that's not what all of this is about. Something else did happen." Oliver looked at Grace confused.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. Grace sighed. She still hadn't decided what exactly she was going to say or how she was going to try and get him to stay calm enough to hear the entire story.

"There's something I need to tell you, something Elizabeth told me last night," Grace said, then paused biting her lip.

"Please Grace, what is it?" Oliver asked, concerned now.

"Oliver, you need to promise me something," she continued.

"Anything," he said.

"I know you're going to be angry, but you have to promise me that you're not going to do anything rash," Grace said.

"Grace, you're starting to scare me now, just tell me what it is," Oliver demanded.

"Promise me," Grace insisted.

"Fine, I promise," Oliver said quickly. "Now will you please just tell me." Grace shook her head.

"You have to mean it Oliver," she persisted. Oliver sighed, then regripped Grace's hands and looked her in the eye.

"I swear to you, I won't do anything rash," he said, solemnly. "Please, Grace." Grace nodded and began Elizabeth's story. She told Oliver of his mother's illness and his father's reaction to her death. She told him about Elizabeth's job and his father's frequent disappearances, Oliver growling in anger at any mention of his father.

"Do you remember William Bennett?" Grace asked as she reached the part of the story where Elizabeth had fallen for an American soldier.

"From the Pittsburgh plant? Of course I do," Oliver said, with a look of disdain on his face.

"He was the soldier," Grace said. Oliver looked her, brow furrowed.

"But, I thought Frank, I mean, that's the soldier she married?" Oliver said, clearly confused.

"Yes, but that was later," Grace said.

"You don't mean that Elizabeth dated that piece of trash?" Oliver asked, referring to Bennett.

"Yes, unfortunately, I do," Grace said, an involuntary shudder going through her. Oliver glanced at her sharply, dread beginning to form in his gut.

"Grace, what happened?" he asked, his voice short. Grace took a deep breath.

"Oliver, you have to understand, your sister was basically alone. Your father rarely made an appearance, she had no friends to speak of, the only person even remotely looking out for her was your neighbor, Mrs. Shaw, and Elizabeth really didn't appreciate her interference," Grace said. Oliver eyes began to narrow at Grace's words. While he didn't want to believe it, he was beginning to think that his sister may not have been entirely proper where William Bennett was concerned.

"What. Happened?" Oliver asked again, teeth clenched. Grace bit her lip.

"William, he courted her," Grace began. "Elizabeth said he was completely appropriate, nothing untoward happened between them. Not at first anyway." Oliver had begun to relax at Grace's first words, but at her last sentence, he tensed again. Grace paused, gathering her thoughts.

"Are you telling me that my sister did something indecent?" Oliver very nearly growled. Grace stared at him, taken aback.

"Of course not!" she insisted. "Where did you get such an idea?"

"Well, you're sitting here telling me that she was alone with no one to keep an eye on her, that William was proper, at first, what else am I supposed to think?" Oliver said, exasperated, throwing up his hands.

"Oliver, please, you need to just hear the whole story," Grace said. "It's just not the easiest thing I've ever had to tell you." Suddenly, Oliver realized something.

"If she didn't do anything wrong, why isn't Elizabeth telling me herself?" "Oliver asked. Grace sighed.

"Oliver, please just listen and you'll understand everything, I promise." Grace looked at him pleadingly and he nodded, gesturing for her to continue.

"When William first introduced himself to her, he told her that his father had done business with you," Grace continued. Oliver snorted at that and Grace smiled a bit. "Yes, well, Elizabeth was desperate for any news of you, she hadn't found your mother's letters at that point, so she agreed to see William in order to hear more about you. It seems that William was a bit obsessed with you, but Elizabeth didn't notice as she was just as anxious to hear about you." Oliver nodded sadly.

"Like I said, William was very appropriate, at first. He did grow bolder as time went one, but it was nothing that you and I didn't do before we were married. Less actually," Grace said quickly before Oliver could jump to the wrong conclusions again. "Until one night," Grace trailed off, looking worriedly at Oliver.

"What, Grace?" Oliver asked, once again the feeling of dread returned. Grace simply looked at him and shook her head, unable to continue. Oliver waited, trying to be patient until Grace could gather herself, but the growing trepidation became too much. He grasped Grace's upper arms and forced her to look at him. "Grace, please," he begged.

"Oliver, he," Grace paused again, a tear making its way down her cheek. "Oliver, he forced her," she whispered in horror, throwing herself into Oliver's arms and crying silently on his shoulder.

"Oh my god," Oliver whispered into Grace's hair, his face a mask of shock and revulsion. "Elizabeth." Grace clung to him for a few minutes more, before she pulled back, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. She looked up at Oliver, putting a hand to his cheek. He shook himself out of his shock and looked back at her.

"Oliver, there's more," Grace said quietly.

"More?" he asked, seeming to buckle under the idea that there could be anything worse that what he had already heard. Grace nodded.

"Catherine, she's," she broke off, looking back at Oliver, who closed his eyes in resignation.

"She's William's," he stated, defeated.

"Yes," Grace said quietly.

"Oh, Grace," Oliver said sadly. "Does Frank know?"

"Yes," Grace said, "He's the one that found Elizabeth, after." Oliver took a breath, trying to fight the tears that were threatening to fall. Grace continued, telling Oliver about how Frank and Elizabeth had ended up married.

"He's a good man," Oliver said when Grace had finished.

"Yes, he is," Grace agreed. "And he loves her very much, Catherine too." Grace let Oliver digest all the information she had given him for a few minutes, waiting for the outburst that was sure to come. A few minutes later, it did.

"I'll kill him," Oliver growled, getting to his feet and beginning to pace. Grace said nothing, just let him bluster. She knew he would ask the inevitable question and she would have to give him the last piece to the puzzle. And she knew he would be devastated by it.

"Why her?" Oliver asked, seeming to himself. "It seems like too much of a coincidence, so soon after the factory." His brow furrowed in concentration, as Grace took a deep breath.

"Oliver, there's something else," Grace said quietly. Oliver's head snapped up at Grace's statement.

"I don't doubt that their meeting was accidental, but once he found out who she was," Grace paused, looking up at Oliver. "Elizabeth told him the two of you were close, that she was coming to live with you after the war." Oliver closed his eyes once again. "After he did what he did, he told her," Grace swallowed, tears in her eyes again. "He told her to tell you that the two of you weren't even yet, but it was a start." When Grace finished, Oliver's shoulders slumped and he brought a hand to his face. Grace took his arm and pulled him back down onto the couch with her, then took him in her arms as he wept.

When Oliver had calmed down, he stood and walked to the window, his back to Grace. He sighed deeply, his heart aching for his baby sister. How any man could do something like that, he could not fathom. The fact that Elizabeth had had to suffer because of something Oliver had done, made it even worse.

"She blames me then," Oliver said quietly. "That's why she didn't want to see me." Grace rose from the sofa and joined him at the window, wrapping an arm around his waist and laying her head on his shoulder.

"Yes and no," Grace said. Oliver looked at her quizzically. "She doesn't blame you for what happened, not anymore. But she didn't want to see you because of it, because it brought back all those memories she had long buried." Oliver nodded sadly.

"But, Oliver," Grace continued. "She wants to see you today. I didn't have to convince her, she invited us on her own."

"How can I face her?" Oliver asked. "When what happened is my fault?"

"Oliver, it is not your fault!" Grace insisted. "William Bennett is a monster, twisted and sick. It was his choice not to take the job you offered him, he could have been running the company again by now if he had. It was his choice to do something so vile," Grace spat, a look of disgust on her face. "Nothing you did could have justified what he did." Oliver pulled Grace to him, embracing her tightly, kissing the top of her head.

"I don't know how you can have so much faith in me," he said into her hair. Grace looked up, bringing a hand to his cheek. She kissed him once and then twice, softly and sweetly.

"Because you're a good man Oliver," Grace said, looking into his eyes. "I know you don't think you deserve me or Annie, or your family, but you do. I wish you would believe that." Oliver shook his head.

"I've made so many mistakes Grace," he began, but Grace interrupted, putting a finger to his lips.

"We've all made mistakes, Oliver, done things we regret," Grace said. "It's how we choose to live with those mistakes that matters. If you keep blaming yourself for things that happened in the past, you'll never be able to live in the present." Oliver looked at her, amazed once again that she felt the way she did about him. He lowered his head and kissed her, languidly, until they both needed to part for air.

"I love you," he said softly to her. Grace smiled and put a hand to his cheek once again.

"And I love you," she said. "Now we should really get ready to go to Elizabeth's. She's invited us for lunch." Grace turned to go back into the bedroom, but Oliver didn't follow. "Oliver?" she questioned.

"I don't know if I can face her," Oliver said. "I don't know what to say." Grace walked back into the sitting room and stood in front of him.

"Just tell her that you love her," Grace said. "She's just as worried about your reaction to her." Oliver looked at her in confusion. Grace sighed. "She's afraid that you'll think badly of her, that she brought it on herself in some way."

"That's ridiculous!" Oliver protested. Grace nodded.

"I know and I told her as much, but she's still worried. The two of you are a lot more alike that you know," Grace said. "And she's worried that you'll do something, to William." Oliver's anger instantly spiked once again.

"That piece of filth deserves worse than anything I could think of," he snarled.

"Oliver, you promised," Grace reminded him.

"Grace, how can I just sit back and pretend that nothing happened?" Oliver asked. "She's my sister!"

"And I am your wife, Oliver," Grace fumed. "And I don't intend on raising Annie on my own, while you sit in a jail cell." She crossed her arms in front of her, glaring at him. Oliver returned her glare with one of his own.

"There are ways not to get caught," Oliver said quietly, but menacingly. Grace stared at him open-mouthed, but her anger didn't abate.

"Oliver Warbucks, how could you even think that?" Grace's voice had risen with her temper. "If you do something illegal, you are no better than he is. Is that the kind of example you want to set for your children?"

"Now wait just a minute, how can you compare," then Oliver stopped, glancing quickly at Grace. "What do you mean children?"

"What?" Grace asked, confused.

"You said children, not child," Oliver replied. "Are you trying to tell me something?" Grace continued to look confused for a moment, then clapped a hand to her mouth, trying not to giggle. "What's so funny?" Oliver demanded.

"Darling, even if something had happened this week, there's no way I could know already," Grace said, still laughing quietly. Oliver turned a rather impressive shade of red, then scowled at Grace. She moved toward him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'm glad you're thinking of the possibility though," she said as she kissed him.

"Don't try to distract me," Oliver said grumpily, but kissed her back all the same.

"I don't know why I said children, wishful thinking, I guess," Grace said. "But please, Oliver, you did promise. And Elizabeth doesn't want William to know about Catherine." Oliver sighed, knowing that she was right.

"You're right, I did promise and I meant it," Oliver said.

"Good," Grace said smiling and kissed him quickly on the cheek. "Now, let's go and get ready."

"Go ahead, I'll be there in a minute," Oliver said. Grace nodded and walked back into the bedroom to dress. Oliver stood and looked out the window for a moment, thinking about Grace's words. A small smile began to form on his face, after he realized that while he had promised not to do anything illegal, she hadn't said anything about doing something legal.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N - Hello everyone! This is a shorter, mostly filler chapter. Sorry, you won't find out what Oliver has planned for William just yet. Thanks for all the reviews, they make my day! **

Oliver and Grace walked up the sidewalk to Elizabeth's house for the second time in as many days. Oliver's stomach was in knots, he was more nervous than he had ever been in his life. He didn't want to say the wrong thing or unintentionally make Elizabeth any more upset than she already was. He took deep breath as they climbed the steps to the porch and Grace squeezed his arm reassuringly. Oliver glanced at her and smiled, as he rang the bell.

Frank answered the door, opening it wide to allow them to enter. He shook Oliver's hand and gave Grace a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Elizabeth is in the kitchen, just finishing the lunch preparations," Frank said to the two of them.

"I'll just go help her then," Grace said, squeezing Oliver's hand before she left the room. Frank ushered Oliver into the living room.

"Please, have a seat," Frank said and Oliver sat down on the sofa. Now that Grace was gone, his nerves had returned and the two men sat in silence for a moment.

"Thank you, for bringing Grace back to the hotel last night," Oliver said. "I know it was very late." Grace had told Oliver that Elizabeth had insisted on waking Frank after their talk and he had driven Grace back to the hotel.

"It was no trouble," Frank insisted, waving a hand in the air. "I wouldn't have wanted to put her in a taxi at that hour." Oliver nodded, unsure how to continue.

"Oliver," Frank began. "I know that Grace has probably told you everything that happened to Elizabeth." Oliver nodded again. "And I know that it was Elizabeth's idea that the two of you come today. I want everything to work out between the two of you, honestly I do."

"But," Oliver prompted, when Frank paused. Frank chuckled a bit.

"But, I do have to ask you, that if she becomes too upset that you keep your distance." Frank paused again, looking at his hands. "It took Elizabeth a very long time to come to grips with what happened and I know that if it hadn't been for Catherine, she might never have." He looked up at Oliver, his eyes both fierce and pleading. "I can't let her go back to that place, I won't let her. And if that means that you can't have a relationship with her because it's too painful for her, then so be it."

"I know that you have no real reason to trust me," Oliver replied. "But I swear to you that I will not do anything to hurt Elizabeth, ever again. Whatever kind of relationship she wants to have with me, then that's what we'll have. Even if that means never speaking to her again." He looked sincerely at Frank and Frank nodded, extending his hand once more.

"Thank you," Frank said, as he shook Oliver's hand. Just then, they were joined by Elizabeth and Grace. Oliver and Frank both stood as the women entered the room. Elizabeth moved to stand next to her husband, but she locked eyes with Oliver. Oliver glanced at Grace, who gave him a small nod and he moved slowly toward Elizabeth. As he neared her, he opened his arms. Elizabeth hesitated for the briefest of moments, then stepped forward into the embrace. Oliver hugged her to him tightly, as tears made their way down her face. Grace, who was standing behind Elizabeth, gave Oliver a smile, her own eyes bright, and tapped Frank on the shoulder. Frank turned, then nodded, and the two of them made their way out to the porch, leaving Elizabeth and Oliver alone.

"I'm so sorry," Oliver said quietly, not releasing his sister. Elizabeth merely squeezed him harder. "I love you, Elizabeth, you didn't deserve any of what happened." At these words, she began to cry in earnest, Oliver stroked her hair and her back, murmuring comforting words to her until she quieted. He then led her to the sofa, sitting down and taking her hands in his. He reached to his pocket for his handkerchief, which she took gratefully, laughing lightly.

"I must look a mess," she said, dabbing at her eyes.

"Of course not," Oliver insisted, smiling. "Elizabeth, I" he said at the same time that Elizabeth said, "Oliver." The two laughed and Elizabeth gestured for him to go first.

"I am sorry," Oliver said, sadness in his eyes. "For everything I did that led William to do what he did."

"Oliver, this wasn't your fault," Grace said, shaking her head. "I don't blame you."

"How can you not?" Oliver asked, ashamed.

"No matter what you did with the factory, William made his own choices," she insisted. "And it does no good for either of us to engage in 'what ifs'. What happened, happened, we just have to move on from it and keep living."

"Why do you sound so much like Grace?" Oliver asked, chuckling. Elizabeth laughed.

"Because your wife is a very smart woman," she replied. "Besides, William stole enough from me that night, I won't let him take you too." She looked at Oliver with conviction, squeezing the one hand she was still holding. He hugged her once more.

"I wish I would have come back, fought Mother to let me take you and Peter," Oliver said. Elizabeth nodded.

"I wish you would have too," she agreed. "But, Grace made me realize that even after everything that happened, I still ended up with a wonderful husband and children. If you had come for us, maybe that wouldn't have happened. Besides, you're here now and we can be a family again. That's all that really matters." She smiled genuinely at Oliver and he smiled back, relief flooding him at her forgiveness. "So, shall we tell those two it's safe to come back in now?" She pointed to the porch, grinning again.

"Yes, I suppose so," Oliver laughed, feeling lighter than he had in days. He walked to the door and stuck his head outside. "You can come back in now." Frank hurried in the door, going immediately to Elizabeth on the sofa and searching her face. Oliver watched Elizabeth put a hand to Frank's cheek, he covered it with his own and then kissed her palm, smiling at her all the while. Grace came and wrapped her arms around Oliver from behind, leaning her chin on his shoulder. He turned his head and kissed her temple, then took her hand and led her back onto the porch.

"Thank you," he murmured into her hair, as he took her in his arms.

"For what?" she asked, smiling up at him.

"For finding her, coming here last night, for being you," he said, smiling back. She blushed and looked away, but he put a finger under her chin and turned her head to look up at him. "I love you Grace, forever and always." And then he kissed her, so deeply and thoroughly that Grace thought her knees would buckle. They were interrupted a few minutes later by the sound of a throat clearing. Oliver broke the kiss, glancing up quickly at Elizabeth who was standing in the doorway.

"I know you two are newlyweds and all, but you may want to come inside. Don't want to entertain the neighbors any more than you already have," she smirked at the two of them. Grace blushed furiously, hiding her face in Oliver's chest as he laughed. Then they followed Elizabeth back into the house and enjoyed a relaxing lunch.

* * *

><p>A couple of hours had passed and the four adults were now sitting in the living room sipping tea and coffee. They had talked about all matter of things and Oliver found himself liking Frank more and more. He had a wonderful sense of humor and Oliver knew that he very nearly worshipped Elizabeth. Oliver smiled once again, happy knowing his sister was in such good hands.<p>

"The children will be back soon," Elizabeth commented, during a lull in the conversation. Oliver glanced at Grace who nodded.

"Well, I suppose we should be going then," Grace said, standing from the sofa.

"But, why?" Elizabeth asked. "Don't you want to meet them?" Grace looked to Oliver, whose face shone with undisguised hope.

"We'd love to meet them," Grace said to Elizabeth. "We just weren't sure how you felt about it. I didn't think they knew, about Oliver."

"Please, stay," Elizabeth insisted. "And they don't, but there's no easy way to tell them. Perhaps meeting you would be the best."

"Of course we'll stay," Oliver said, reaching over and squeezing Elizabeth's hand.

"Good, that's settled then," Frank said, standing from his chair as Grace sat back down. "I'll just go over and get them then, shall I?" Elizabeth nodded and Frank left to retrieve the children.

A few minutes later, there were voices on the porch, all seeming to try and talk to Frank at once about their lunch at the neighbor's house. As they came into the living room and saw Grace and Oliver, all conversation ceased immediately. Joe looked at the two of them curiously before recognition broke over his face.

"Hey, I know you," he said, pointing at Oliver. "You were here yesterday."

"Joseph Peter, remember your manners!" Elizabeth admonished.

"Sorry Mum," he responded automatically. Then, in a softer tone, laced with anger, "You made Mum cry."

"Joe," Frank said warningly, putting a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Well, he did," Joe insisted indignantly. Frank opened his mouth to say something else, but Oliver held up a hand to interrupt.

"He's right, Frank," Oliver said. "No sense in denying it." Oliver stood and walked toward Joe, who stood his ground as Oliver approached. When Oliver reached Joe, he squatted down in front of him. "I did hurt your mum yesterday and I'm very sorry for that. I've apologized and your mum's forgiven me. I hope you will too." Joe considered this for a moment.

"Do you promise to never do it again?" he asked seriously.

"I do," Oliver replied, just as seriously. Joe studied Oliver for a minute more.

"All right, then," he shrugged and smiled. Oliver laughed and stood, clapping Joe on the shoulder.

"You're a wonderful son, Joe," Oliver said, looking at Elizabeth. Elizabeth looked as if she didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but ultimately chose the former, although her eyes were bright.

"Come here, you," she said, reaching out for Joe, who ran and hugged her. "Well, so you've met Joe. Again." Elizabeth laughed. "Come, meet the rest of them." Elizabeth introduced Catherine, Mary and Paul.

"And this," she said, waving a hand at Oliver and Grace. "Is Oliver Warbucks and his wife, Grace. Oliver is my oldest brother." The introduction was met with stunned silence and then all the children began talking at once.

"Brother?"

"I thought all your brothers were dead?"

"I didn't know you had a brother!"

"What about kids, do you have kids?"

Oliver couldn't help but laugh at Joe's question. He was so much like Annie. The thought gave Oliver's heart a tug, how he missed his little girl. Grace was laughing as well and soon Frank and Elizabeth joined in. The four children stood looking at the adults as if they had all gone crazy.

"Mum?" Catherine asked, concern in her voice. Elizabeth looked up at her oldest daughter, a smile on her face.

"I'm sorry dear," Elizabeth said, managing to contain her laughter. "I know you all need an explanation." She looked to Oliver, her mind suddenly blank. He smiled and her and nodded, as if to tell her not to worry.

"Your mother actually didn't know where I was until just a very short time ago," Oliver explained. "You see, I left England when I was still just a boy, only your age Paul, and I wasn't very good about keeping in touch." Paul and Joe seemed to accept this explanation, but the girls were looking at him with suspicion in their eyes.

"But, we've found each other again now," Elizabeth said, breaking in. "And that's all that matters." She gave both Catherine and Mary pointed looks and after a moment, both girls nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Oh, and Joe," Grace said, still smiling. "We do have a daughter, her name is Annie. She's 10, just like you." Joe wrinkled his nose.

"Aw, a girl?" he said, distaste evident in his expression. Oliver laughed loudly at the same time Elizabeth said, "Joe!" clearly appalled at her son's behavior.

"Oh come now, Elizabeth," Oliver said, smirking at her. "I felt the same way about you after you were born." At this, Elizabeth stuck her tongue out at Oliver while her children gaped in astonishment. They had never seen their mother act this way before. She glanced at the four of them, blushing slightly, then giggled, clapping a hand over her mouth to try and hide it.

"Mum!" Mary exclaimed, clearly disapproving of the way her mother was acting.

"What?" Elizabeth asked defiantly. "Isn't your mother allowed to have fun now and then?"

"Of course, but you've never acted like this before," Catherine said, looking just as disapproving as her sister.

"Well then, I guess it's a good thing Grace and Oliver found me, now isn't it?" Elizabeth directed the question to her daughters, but was looking at Oliver, her face full of emotion. Grace wiped a tear from her eye, as Oliver grasped Elizabeth's hand in both of his own, swallowing past a rather large lump in his throat.

"Adults," Joe shook his head . "Are nuts." At this, the four adults couldn't help but laugh loudly, the children joining in as well.

Grace and Oliver spent a pleasant few hours chatting with the children and getting to know them. It wasn't until Elizabeth looked at the clock and gasped that she must start dinner that Oliver decided it was time for them to go.

"Are you sure you won't stay to dinner?" Elizabeth asked.

"No, we've intruded enough," Oliver said. "Besides, we've got to be up early tomorrow, to catch the train home." He looked almost giddy at the prospect of home.

"Missing Annie, are you?" Elizabeth asked knowingly.

"More than I thought possible," Oliver admitted, as Grace came up behind him, slipping her hand into his.

"Same here," Grace said. "I can't wait for all the non-stop questions we're going to get." The three of them chuckled together. "She's going to be so excited when we tell her we've seen you."

"Why don't you all come for her birthday, in October?" Oliver asked.

"Oh, I don't know Oliver," Elizabeth said, looking to Frank. He gave her a sad smile, then joined the group. "It's just, the train, it's rather expensive for the six of us," she continued. Oliver inwardly cursed his own stupidity. While Frank was, thankfully, employed, the family still had a tight budget. Grace squeezed Oliver's hand.

"Please, let us take care of the tickets," Grace said.

"No, we couldn't do that," Frank insisted. Grace bit her lip, she knew Frank was a proud man and would never accept what he considered charity. But, still, she knew it was important to Oliver.

"Please, we're family, it's what families do. And Annie would be so excited to meet all of you," Grace continued, hoping she hadn't crossed some kind of line. Frank looked at her for a moment, his expression unreadable, then glanced at his wife, who was looking at him hopefully. He sighed.

"All right," he said, smiling at Elizabeth who wrapped an arm around his waist and hugged him.

"Wonderful," Oliver exclaimed, his smile wide.

"I'll let you know the dates when we've got everything planned," Grace said to Elizabeth who nodded. The two women embraced, as Frank and Oliver shook hands. Oliver and Grace said good-bye to all of the children, then Grace kissed Frank on the cheek and Oliver hugged Elizabeth tightly to him once more.

"I'm so glad Grace didn't listen to me," Oliver said quietly, smiling down at his sister.

"About what?" Elizabeth asked.

"Coming back to see you again," Oliver said, smiling.

"So am I," Elizabeth replied. "Don't be a stranger now, will you?" she asked, grinning widely. "Do drop us a note now and again." Oliver laughed aloud, then hugged her again.

"Oh, I missed you," he said, kissing her cheek. Elizabeth simply continued to smile, as Frank put an arm around her waist. She leaned into him, sighing contentedly, as Grace and Oliver climbed into the waiting taxi, waving good-bye to them until they turned the corner at the end of the street.

* * *

><p>Grace and Oliver rose early, before the sun had even risen, in order to make the morning train back to New York. Grace was tired, but content, as they boarded and found their way to their compartment. Oliver settled into the seat, Grace scooting into his side and leaning her head on his shoulder.<p>

"Why don't you sleep?" Oliver asked. "I know you're tired."

"No more than you are," Grace replied. "Neither of us got to bed early, as we planned." She grinned up at him and he kissed her softly.

"And now whose fault was that?" he asked, grinning at her wickedly. Grace rolled her eyes.

"I think it was rather mutual, dear," Grace replied dryly. Oliver winked at her and she laughed.

"Oh, I can't wait to see Annie," Grace said, excitedly.

"Nor can I," Oliver agreed. "I suppose she'll drive the staff crazy today, asking when we're going to be home." He chuckled at the thought.

"I'm sure you're right," Grace said.

"So, nap then?" Oliver asked, looking down at her.

"Oh, I don't know," Grace said, skimming his jawline with her nose and kissing his neck. "I'm really not all that tired." Oliver closed his eyes as Grace found her way onto his lap. He opened them to look at her and recognizing the look on her face, kissed her hungrily, very glad that he had thought to lock the compartment door and close the curtains at the windows.

* * *

><p>They did nap then, waking for a quick lunch in the dining car before arriving back in New York. Grace sighed contentedly as she and Oliver walked down the platform toward the station, a porter following behind with their luggage. As they exited out onto the street, Grace smiled. The time alone with Oliver had been wonderful, but it was good to be home. They were greeted by the Asp who loaded their luggage into the car after securing Oliver and Grace into the back seat.<p>

The drive to the house was short, but seemed to last an eternity to Grace, who just wanted to hug her little girl. Oliver seemed to feel the same, as he drummed his fingers on the armrest and fidgeted in the seat. Grace smiled, before taking his hand in hers. He looked to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and kissing her temple.

As they finally pulled into the drive, Grace looked up to see a very exited Annie jumping up and down on the steps, literally being held back from rushing the car by Mrs. Greer. Oliver chuckled as Grace grinned, wanting to jump from the car herself. The Asp pulled the car to a stop and Punjab stepped forward to open the door. Oliver stepped out at the same moment that Mrs. Greer lost her grip on Annie. Annie ran and threw herself at him before he could turn to help Grace from the car.

"Daddy Warbucks, I missed you!" Annie exclaimed as he swept her up into his arms, giving her a hug. "Where's Mom?"

"Well, you didn't let me get her from the car before you attacked me, now did you?" Oliver said, trying to hide a grin. He set the girl on her feet, then turned back to the car and offered Grace a hand. She smiled, then stepped from the car, only to almost be driven back into it by Annie, who had now flung herself at Grace in the same way she had Oliver.

"Oof," Grace said, as the wind was very nearly knocked out of her. Oliver grabbed her arm to steady her, as Annie gripped her tightly around the waist.

"Sweetheart, I'm very glad to see you too, but perhaps you could loosen your grip a bit, so I can breathe," Grace managed to say through her gasps for air. Annie let go at once.

"Sorry, Mom," she said, biting her lip. "I didn't mean to hurt you." Grace reached down and hugged her tightly, Annie throwing her arms around Grace's neck.

"It's all right, I'm fine," Grace reassured her, kissing Annie's cheek. Annie released her then stood looking up adoringly at both her parents.

"Did you have a good time? What were the falls like? What did you eat? How long was the train ride? Did you bring me anything?" She paused to take a breath and Oliver and Grace exchanged knowing glances. Oliver began to chuckle and as much as Grace tried to hold it in, she couldn't, and burst out laughing herself. Annie looked up at them curiously, clearly having no idea what they found so funny.

"What?" she asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.

"Nothing, dear," Grace replied. "We've just missed you very much." Oliver nodded, not trusting himself to speak without laughing again. Annie smiled, taking a hand of each of her parents and leading them into the house, more questions falling from her lips. Grace and Oliver looked at each other, shaking their heads. As they climbed the steps to the front door, Grace looked back down at Annie, and found herself thinking of what Oliver had assumed when she had said "children" in their hotel room in Boston. She smiled as Annie continued to talk, and thought to herself that any child they might have would have a hard time getting a word in edgewise when their older sister was around. Grace chuckled, as Oliver looked at her questioningly. Grace shook her head to indicate it was nothing, and thought again how very good it was to be home.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N - Hope you all enjoy this chapter. I am hoping to have the next one up on time next Monday, but I am hosting Thanksgiving at my house for my family, so I have lots to do this week. I hope that all of you that will be celebrating have a wonderful holiday! **

Grace closed the door to Annie's room quietly behind her and let out a loud sigh of relief. She had finally gotten Annie to sleep, after so many stories about Niagara Falls and Elizabeth that Grace had lost count. Annie always seemed to have just one more question, and it wasn't until Grace finally told her that they would have to cancel their trip to the movies the next day if Annie didn't get some rest, that the girl finally quieted and closed her eyes.

Grace yawned widely and made her way to the study. Oliver had come in to kiss Annie goodnight earlier and told Grace he would be waiting for her there. She opened the door and smiled at the sight of her husband reclined on the sofa, his eyes closed, snoring quietly. She moved across the room silently and perched on the edge of the sofa next to him, leaning down and kissing him softly. He smiled and brought an arm up and around her waist as he kissed her back.

"I thought you were asleep," Grace said, as she sat up.

"Hmm, nearly," he replied, his eyes still closed. "I thought you'd gotten lost." He opened his eyes then, smiling at her.

"Yes, well, your daughter had quite a lot left to say this evening," Grace said dryly. Annie had peppered them with questions all afternoon and then throughout dinner had given them an hour by hour account of her time while they were gone. Grace sometimes had a hard time believing that one person could talk so much.

"Oh, so she's _my_ daughter now, is she?" Oliver asked, his eyes twinkling.

"When she's exhausting me to no end, yes, she's your daughter," Grace answered, hiding a grin. Oliver laughed, running a hand down Grace's cheek. She smiled, then tried to stifle another yawn.

"I think it's time we got you to bed," Oliver said, sitting up. Grace stood, so Oliver could get up, then leaned into him as he stood. She was awfully tired. As they turned to leave the study, there was a knock at the door. Grace groaned, hoping that whatever the problem was, it wouldn't take too long. Oliver kissed her forehead before turning to the door.

"Come in," he called. The door opened slowly to reveal Jack, the gardener. Behind him stood Cecile, his wife. The two had met at the mansion after being hired around the same time and had been married a little over a year ago. They lived in the small caretaker's cottage on the edge of the grounds. Grace was a bit surprised to see them here together. While it wasn't unusual for either of them to come to Oliver with any problem they may have encountered, given the fact that Jack worked on the grounds and Cecile in the house, it didn't seem likely there was a mutual problem. Unless it had something to do with Annie, Grace thought, biting her lip. Cecile had been in charge in their absence and Annie had told Grace that she had spent the night in Cecile and Jack's cottage one night. While Grace knew Annie wouldn't misbehave on purpose, she was such an enthusiastic child, something may have happened.

"Jack, Cecile," Oliver said, acknowledging the couple.

"Mr. Warbucks, Miss Far-, I mean, Mrs. Warbucks," Jack said, reddening at his slip. Grace smiled and nodded, letting him know that it was all right.

"What can I do for you?" Oliver continued. Jack looked to Cecile and his hands tightened on the hat he held in his hands.

"I'm sorry to disturb you both so soon after your return," Jack began, fidgeting with the hat.

"It's quite all right, Jack," Oliver assured him.

"There's something that we, that is, Cecile and I, wanted to ask you about," Jack said. The man was clearly nervous and Grace's apprehension that it had something to do with Annie grew. The entire staff knew how devoted Oliver was to his daughter and Grace was sure that none of them would have wanted to give him bad news about her.

"Go on," Oliver said, when Jack broke off. Jack looked at Cecile once more, who looked equally nervous and Grace decided to try and put them at ease, at least a little.

"Why don't the two of you sit down," Grace said, indicating the two chairs facing the sofa. The two sat down and Grace and Oliver settled onto the sofa once again.

"Now, what's this all about?" she asked, smiling encouragingly to both of them. Jack took a deep breath before continuing.

"I'm sure Annie told you that her friends came for a visit while you were gone," Jack looked from Oliver to Grace who both nodded. Grace had been very surprised by this news when Annie had told them during dinner. Apparently, it had actually been Mrs. Pugh's idea, but the whole staff seemed more than willing to have the girls for the day. Grace wondered if something had happened then, she knew the mischief seven girls could get into.

"Well, those girls, they're all real sweet, real polite too, and Annie had a real good time with all of them," Jack continued, looking to Cecile again who nodded.

"And well, like I said, they're all real sweet, but that little Molly, she's just something special. Cecile thought so way back after the weekend they all spent here for Annie's adoption and, well," Jack paused, clearly unsure how to continue. Grace frowned, trying to decipher what was going on. It didn't sound as if anything bad had happened. Grace glanced at Oliver who looked just as confused as she. Before she had a chance to ask Jack what he was trying to say, Cecile interrupted.

"We want to adopt her," Cecile blurted out. Jack gave her a look of consternation, as if to tell her he was going to get around to it eventually. Oliver and Grace sat with similar expressions of surprise on their faces, neither one able to speak for a moment. Cecile looked from one to the other and then seemed to deflate.

"Of course, it's a terrible idea, we couldn't," she trailed off, looking disappointed and on the verge of tears. Grace was the first to recover.

"No, no, of course not," Grace insisted. "We're just a little surprised." Cecile looked up.

"Do you really think we could? That they'd let us?" she asked, face so full of hope that it brought tears to Grace's eyes.

"I don't see why not," Grace said, nudging Oliver who had still not spoken. Oliver shook his head as if to clear it, then looked back and Jack and Cecile.

"Are the two of you sure about this?" Oliver asked, still a bit shocked at their announcement.

"Yes, sir," Jack answered. "You see, Cecile and I, well," he turned a bit red, then looked to his wife for help.

"We, I mean I, can't have children," she finished quietly, looking at her lap. Grace reached a hand out and squeezed Cecile's gently. Cecile gave her a grateful look, then dropped her gaze back to her lap.

"Well, then," said Oliver, clearing his throat, clearly uncomfortable by the turn the conversation had taken. "What can I do to help you?"

"You- you'll help us, sir?" Jack asked, seemingly astonished.

"Of course we will," Grace insisted. "Every child needs parents and I know the two of you would be wonderful ones." Cecile immediately burst into tears and Jack looked close to them himself. He put an arm around his crying wife, pulling her to him and kissing the top of her head. Oliver pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Cecile, who seemed to cry harder at the gesture. After a few moments, she composed herself, sitting back up in her chair, wiping away her tears.

"I'm sorry sir," she said quietly, not meeting Oliver's eyes.

"It's quite all right," Oliver said smiling. "Why don't we discuss this more in the morning? Come to my office around nine and we'll figure out all the particulars."

"Thank you sir," Jack said, standing and shaking Oliver's hand. He nodded to Grace and then held a hand out to Cecile, helping her up from the chair. Cecile looked to Grace and Grace reached out to clasp Cecile's hand. Then Cecile turned to Oliver. After a moment's hesitation, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered, as Oliver stood patting her back awkwardly.

"You're welcome, my dear," he said as she released him. Jack nodded to both Oliver and Grace again, then he and Cecile left the study, closing the door behind them.

Grace sank back down onto the couch, emotionally drained. She looked at Oliver as he sat, who still looked stunned.

"What just happened?" he asked quietly, clearly unable to process everything that had gone on. Grace laughed quietly.

"I think we just agreed to things getting just a bit more crazy and loud around here," she chuckled, thinking of the trouble Annie and Molly could get into together.

"Lord, help us," Oliver said. He turned to Grace taking her hand and standing up. "Let's go to bed before anything else happens." Grace followed him from the room. As they reached the hall, Oliver turned to the left and Grace turned to the right. At the tug on their hands, they both looked at each other and laughed.

"I guess we haven't talked about whose rooms we're going to sleep in," Grace said, smiling widely. They stood looking at each other for a moment before Oliver spoke.

"Let's go to yours," Oliver said. "They're closer to Annie and my things are easier to move, I'm sure."

"Oliver Warbucks, are you implying that I require an excessive amount of effort?" Grace asked, hands on her hips.

"Of course not, darling," Oliver said, encircling her with his arms. "Just that you're beautiful, intelligent, complex," he punctuated each word with a kiss on her cheek or jaw. Grace's arms wrapped around his neck and she sighed, contentedly. Oliver smiled and kissed her lips.

"I'll be along in a minute, just need to get a few things from my room," he said when he pulled back. Grace smiled and nodded, then made her way to her room. She readied herself for bed and then climbed under the covers to wait for Oliver. The day had caught up with her however, and by the time Oliver entered the room a few minutes later, she was already asleep. He smiled as he undressed, then climbed in beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her to him. He kissed her shoulder, then settled in to sleep himself.

* * *

><p>The two were awoken by a squeal and the bouncing of the mattress. Oliver opened one eye to see Annie, jumping up and down on the end of the bed. He groaned and tried to pretend he was still asleep, but Annie had already seen him. She stopped jumping and knelt down beside him.<p>

"Daddy Warbucks," she whispered a little too loudly into his ear. "Are you awake?" Oliver waited a moment, then reached around and grabbed the little girl around the waist, pulling her over his back, between him and Grace and tickling her mercilessly. Annie's shrieks of delight filled the room, as Grace turned toward them, a scowl on her face. Oliver stopped tickling Annie and gathered her to him.

"I think we upset your mother," Oliver whispered to the girl as she giggled. "What do you think we should do?" Annie giggled again, then turned her head to Oliver, whispering so quietly, Grace couldn't hear what was said. Oliver nodded, then they both turned back to Grace, who was still frowning.

"Annie thinks you need some cheering up," Oliver said, a mischievous glint in his eye as Annie stifled a laugh behind her hand. Grace looked at the two of them in confusion, then realized what Oliver intended to do.

"Oliver, don't you dare!" she exclaimed, but he had already worked himself around Annie and pounced on Grace, tickling her. Grace laughed and gasped for breath, as Annie collapsed into a giggling heap behind Oliver.

"Oliver, please," Grace gasped, laughing. "Stop!" Oliver tickled her for a few more seconds, then his hands became still as he smiled down at Grace. Chest heaving, she looked up at him, trying to look annoyed, but failing. Oliver stared at her for a long moment, brushing a lock of hair back from her face. He lowered his head to hers, then seemed to finally remember they were not alone in the room, and kissed her quickly on the forehead.

"Think it's that funny, do you?" Grace asked, as she sat up and looked at Annie, who was still laughing.

"Uh-huh," Annie said, a new wave of giggles overtaking her.

"Well, we'll just see about that," Grace said, trying to look menacing as she slowly crawled toward Annie on the bed.

"Daddy Warbucks," Annie shrieked, jumping onto Oliver's back, trying to shield herself from Grace.

"Oh no," Oliver said, laughing. "It was your idea, I can't protect you now." Grace slowly crawled around Oliver, grabbing her daughter from his back and tickling her again. Annie screeched loudly, trying to hide behind Oliver once again, but Grace was having none of it. After a few minutes, they both lay panting on the bed, Annie's giggles slowly subsiding, Oliver smiling down at them. Once she was recovered, Grace sat up and pulled Annie up with her. Annie looked from Grace to Oliver, then threw her arms around them both.

"I love you," she said, smiling from ear to ear. Grace and Oliver each wrapped an arm around the girl and Oliver pulled Grace to him with the other.

"We love you too," Oliver said, as Grace kissed Annie's cheek. "Now, all that tickling has made me ravenous. How about some breakfast?" Annie nodded, bouncing up and down on the bed. Grace laughed, standing and pulling on a robe, as Oliver did the same. They each took one of Annie's hands and the little family made their way down to the dining room for breakfast.

* * *

><p>After breakfast, Oliver retreated back to his own room to dress and ready himself for the day. Grace walked back to her suite after dropping Annie in her room to get dressed, thinking that they needed to do something about the room situation. She loved her suite, but knew it was a bit too feminine for Oliver, just as his rooms were too masculine for her. Besides, she felt that the two of them should start fresh, now that they were married. As she passed the room Annie's friends had slept in the weekend they spent at the mansion, Grace stopped and stepped inside. The bedroom was large, bigger than her or Oliver's bedrooms and there was a sitting room as well. It had its own bath and large closets that Grace knew would be more than big enough for the two of them. But best of all, there was a small connecting room which Grace could instantly envision as a nursery. And it was right across the hall from Annie.<p>

"Perfect," she thought, smiling, stepping into the smaller room and letting her imagination wander. After a few minutes, Grace shook herself out of her reverie, gently reminding herself that she had no idea if they would need to use the small room anytime soon.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Grace," she chastised, walking back into the large room. "It will be at least another week or two before you know for sure." She shook her head, then continued on to her own room to get dressed.

* * *

><p>Grace met Oliver in his study and told him about the new suite she had found for the two of them, while they waited for Jack and Cecile.<p>

"Sounds wonderful, darling," he said, smiling at her. "Why don't you get to work on that and we can move in as soon as it's renovated."

"Well, that's the best part," Grace replied. "It doesn't really need any renovation. It's nicely decorated already, all we have to do is move in."

"That's settled then, I'll have Drake get our things moved today," Oliver said, as Grace smiled happily. "Now, tell me your thoughts on this adoption."

"I do think it's a wonderful idea, Oliver," Grace said. "I know the orphanage is much better now that Mr. Donatelli has hired the Spencer sisters, but those little girls still need homes of their own." They had gotten word from Mr. Donatelli when they returned from their honeymoon, that he had hired two widowed sisters to be caretakers at the orphanage. Both had lost their husbands in the war and had not remarried, choosing instead to move in together to raise all of their children. All the children were grown now and the sisters were delighted to be in charge of the girls at the orphanage. Annie had told them her friends all adored the Spencer sisters, even Pepper.

"And Cecile adores Annie, you've seen how she dotes on her, she'll be a wonderful mother," Grace continued. Oliver nodded in agreement.

"I suppose we'll have to find a new maid then," Oliver said.

"Whatever for?" Grace asked.

"Well, she'll need to stay home and take care of Molly, of course," Oliver replied, confused as to why Grace hadn't realized this.

"Molly and Annie are like sisters, Oliver," Grace said. "You know that they will be playing together all the time. Cecile's more nanny than maid now, anyway, there's no reason she can't keep working and watch both girls at the same time. If she wants to." Oliver didn't look convinced.

"Surely you don't expect her to quit her job, just because she's got a child now," Grace asked, somewhat shocked by Oliver's attitude. When he didn't respond, her eyes narrowed.

"Are you expecting _me_ to quit working, now that we're married?" Grace asked, steel in her voice. Oliver glanced up at her, then looked away, his cheeks reddening ever so slightly. Grace's mouth dropped open.

"You are, aren't you?" Grace demanded. "You intend to find a new secretary!"

"It's not proper for you to work, Grace," Oliver's jaw tightened. "Now that we're married, you need to take care of Annie and the house."

"I do take care of the house, I have for years. It's always been part of my job," Grace said through gritted teeth. "As for Annie, of course I'm going to take care of her, but she's ten years old Oliver, she doesn't need a nursemaid. Besides, she's going to go to school in little more than a month. What will I do all day while she's gone? Certainly not take care of the house. Unless you intend to get rid of all of the staff so I would actually have something to do." Before Oliver could respond, there was a knock at the door.

"We **will** talk about this later," Grace said vehemently. Then she put a smile on her face and opened the door to Jack and Cecile.

* * *

><p>An hour later, Oliver sat alone in the study. All the details of the adoption had been ironed out and Grace had agreed to speak with Mr. Donatelli on Cecile and Jack's behalf. Both couples hoped that Molly could be home within the week. Oliver smiled as he thought of what Annie's reaction would be when they told her. He knew that she would love having a playmate, especially Molly. Oliver and Grace had agreed that Molly should attend school with Annie in the fall and were intending to pay her tuition. Cecile had cried again at this news and Jack had insisted that it wasn't necessary, but Oliver had waved him off.<p>

"Every child deserves the best education possible," Oliver said. But it wasn't until Grace had stepped in that the two agreed to Oliver's offer.

"We've more than we will ever need," Grace had said quietly. "Please let us do this for Molly and for you." And finally, Jack had nodded in acquiescence. Oliver had also announced that he would be hiring a tutor for the girls for the rest of the summer, to make sure they knew what they should before starting school. Instruction at the orphanage had been spotty at best with Miss Hannigan in charge, another thing Grace had made sure Mr. Donatelli changed.

Grace had left right after Jack and Cecile to collect Annie from her tennis lesson, but the look on her face left Oliver no room for doubt that their conversation was not yet over. He sighed, looking out the window at the grounds and wondering just how he could convince Grace that he was right about this. Annie needed her mother. Although, Oliver had to admit, he'd had a few secretaries over the years and no one compared to Grace. Besides the fact that she was the most efficient person Oliver had ever known, she also knew exactly how he liked everything. Sometimes he thought that she knew what he needed before he had even thought of it. Oliver was reluctant to try and train and get used to someone else.

But no, he thought shaking his head. Grace needed to quit working now that they were married. It just wasn't proper for her to continue. Oliver had no problem with women working, until children entered the mix. Children needed their mothers, plain and simple. And it's not as if they needed the money. Oliver knew times were very difficult for many people. In times like these, he thought that women working, while not ideal, were acceptable given the circumstances. But, it's not as if he and Grace needed the money. He would definitely need to start looking for a replacement for her as soon as possible.

As Oliver waited for Grace to return, he began going through his mail that had accumulated in his absence. There was a letter from the Pittsburgh factory manager about some of the new procedures Oliver had wanted implemented. Reading it got him to thinking about William Bennett once again. Oliver's lip curled in disgust as he thought about the sorry excuse for a man. While he had a plan in mind, he needed to find the man first. Oliver picked up the phone and called Walt Stevens, a private detective he used from time to time.

"Walt, Oliver Warbucks here," Oliver said, when Walt had answered the phone. "I've got a job for you, if you've got the time. May include some travel." At Walt's agreement, Oliver explained what he needed done.

"Let me know once you've found him," Oliver said. "And, as always, I need your complete discretion on this. Thanks Walt."

"Complete discretion on what?" Grace asked, as she came back into the study. Oliver jumped at the sound of her voice, he hadn't realized she was there. He hung up the phone and looked back down at his mail.

"Oh, nothing, just something I'm having Walt check on for me," Oliver said, off-handedly. But Grace seemed to have no intention of giving up.

"Oliver, this isn't about William Bennett is it?" Grace asked, frown on her face. Oliver attempted to appear nonchalant as he looked up at Grace, but couldn't seem to hold her gaze. Grace huffed in frustration.

"Oliver, you _promised_," she protested.

"I know, Grace, calm down, I'm not having Walt do anything to him," he said. "I just want to know where the man _is._" Grace didn't seem convinced, but let the matter drop.

"I think we still have something to discuss," she said quietly, sitting down in front of Oliver's desk.

"Where's Annie?" he asked, hoping that he could use her as an excuse to put off this conversation.

"She's with Mrs. Pugh, helping her make cookies," Grace answered. "They planned it yesterday before we got home, just in case you were thinking I set it up so I didn't have to take care of her." There was a hard edge to Grace's voice and Oliver sighed.

"Of course I don't think that," he said. "I know you're a wonderful mother Grace."

"As long as I don't work, you mean," Grace said, her lips in a tight line.

"Grace, please try to understand," Oliver began, but Grace interrupted him almost immediately.

"No Oliver, you don't understand," she said, her voice rising. "Annie is ten, she's got tennis lessons, her lessons with the Asp and now we'll be bringing a tutor in for her and Molly until they start school in the fall. She adores the staff and they her, she loves spending time helping Mrs. Pugh and Jack. She's been asking me if she can have swimming lessons and I'm sure that Jack and Cecile will want Molly to as well. And in a month, she'll be at school all day. She doesn't need or want me with her every second of the day. There's no reason why I can't still work."

"But, you don't need to work Grace," Oliver said, irritated now. "We certainly don't need the money, and even though Annie doesn't need you every minute, she still needs you. Then there's the house to consider."

"Oliver, I've already told you, this house basically runs itself. With all the staff we have, there are rarely any problems and when one does arise, it never takes very long to sort out," Grace replied, seeming exasperated now. "And I don't intend to work all day while Annie is still home for the summer. I can work in the mornings or afternoons and then at night after she goes to bed, like we did before the wedding." But, Oliver shook his head. Grace huffed in frustration.

"Fine, give me your reasons," she insisted. "And one of them better not be, because it isn't proper." Grace stood, crossing her arms in front of her and glaring at Oliver. Oliver scowled back.

"Well, it isn't proper," he muttered, but not low enough for Grace not to hear.

"And just when, have you _ever_ listened to society about what is proper," Grace asked. Oliver grumbled something unintelligible.

"What do you expect me to do all day if I'm not working?" Grace continued. "Wait, I've got it, I could plan parties, all to be held here at the mansion." Oliver blanched at this, if there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was society functions and the thought of having them here at the house made him shudder. Grace snorted at his reaction.

"So what then?" she asked, still glaring at him.

"I don't know, all right?" Oliver bellowed. "I'm not a woman, I don't know what they do all day." He stood and began pacing around his office. "Ask Elizabeth, she stays home and all of her children are in school." He looked triumphantly at Grace, as if he had come up with the perfect solution to the problem. Grace rolled her eyes.

"Elizabeth is in a completely different situation," Grace said. "She doesn't have a cook and maids and gardeners and," Oliver held up a hand for her to stop.

"Fine, fine," Oliver said, a bit snappish. He scrubbed a hand down his face and looked completely exhausted. Grace softened a bit at his expression.

"Oliver, you know that I love you and I value your opinion on everything," she said, stepping to place a hand on his arm. "But my job is very important to me. I love Annie and I want to spend time with her and I fully intend to do so. But she doesn't need me every minute and neither does the staff or the house." Grace stepped closer to Oliver, but he refused to look at her, jaw still clenched. "We really do have the best situation," Grace continued. "I always work from the house and you're here most of the time, so if Annie does ever need us while we're working, we can be there for her right away." She stopped and searched Oliver's face, but his expression was unreadable. Grace waited, but Oliver didn't respond.

"Please, tell me what you're thinking," Grace said quietly. Oliver turned to her slowly, looking her in the eye, his expression making Grace gasp.

"I don't think you want to know what I'm thinking," Oliver answered coldly, turning and walking from the room, leaving Grace staring incredulously after him.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N - So sorry for the delay! Thanksgiving was a bit busy around here, but very fun. I hope all of you that celebrated had a wonderful holiday! I hope to get back to my Monday posting schedule, but I have admit that December is always crazy around here. I will do my best though! **

**Thanks to all those who reviewed the last chapter, I appreciate them very much! Something was going on with FF and it wouldn't allow me to respond to any of them for some reason. I do respond to my reviews, so if you would like a response from me, please make sure the PM feature is activated on your profile. Enjoy the chapter!**

Grace sat in the study after Oliver had stormed out, waiting for him to return. She thought he just needed to calm himself down and then they could continue their discussion like rational adults. She sat at his desk and began to go through the mail, separating business and personal correspondence and opening a few that she knew they would need to deal with right away. When she was finished, she glanced at the clock and realized that more than half hour had gone by and Oliver still hadn't come back. Grace had to admit to herself that he was much more upset about the situation than she realized.

Sighing, Grace leaned against the desk, propping her chin in her hand, wondering how on earth she was going to bring Oliver around to her point of view or if she even could. He obviously felt very strongly on the subject, if his reaction right before he left the room were any indication. And if she couldn't change his mind, what then? Grace certainly wasn't going to change her own mind about it, she would go crazy sitting home all day while Annie was at school, with nothing more to do than shop or attend society functions. Not that she would be invited to any, Grace thought wryly.

Although they had all readily attended Annie's adoption party, it was more than evident to Grace that she had not been accepted by the women of "polite society". Most thought she had married Oliver only for his money and the rest thought it was some kind of scandal and she would surely be having a baby any day now. No, Grace thought, she could cross high society off her list, not that she wanted to befriend any of those catty women anyway. Oliver wanted even less to do with them than she did, only suffering through charity events and parties when it was absolutely necessary.

Which was why Oliver's vehemence on the subject surprised Grace. Never one for appearances, Oliver didn't care what people thought or said about him. To continually tell her that it wasn't "proper" for her to work, truly confused her. She and Oliver felt the same way about so many things, she was unprepared for the seriousness of their argument. Looking at the clock again, Grace saw that more than an hour had passed. Oliver obviously wasn't coming back. Tears pricked Grace's eyes as she stood, but she refused to give in to them, instead leaving the study and heading for the kitchens to see how Annie and Mrs. Pugh were doing.

* * *

><p>Oliver held his breath and dove deep into the pool. Touching the bottom, he turned and shot back up, taking in a gulp of air as his head broke the surface. Treading water, he realized he had been swimming laps for almost an hour now, but his anger had barely dissipated. Scowling, he swam to the side and climbed out of the pool.<p>

He stood drying himself with a towel, going over the argument with Grace in his head. She was so stubborn, it drove him mad sometimes. Why couldn't she just listen to reason and do as he asked? More importantly, why didn't she want to? Oliver thought Annie was the most important thing to Grace, next to him. He didn't understand why she wouldn't want to spend as much time with her as possible. As a matter of fact, it was a big part of the reason Oliver was so angry. Mothers should want to spend their time with their children. And the fact that Grace didn't have much to do as far as the house was concerned should make her even happier because it gave her more time with Annie. Most women didn't have that luxury. His own mother certainly hadn't. So much of her time was spent cleaning, cooking, sewing and mending, as well as taking care of his drunken father, that she rarely had time to spend with her children. And Oliver did not intend for Annie, or any other children of his, to have to suffer the same fate.

"Obstinate, pig-headed, mulish woman," Oliver growled under his breath as he finished drying off. He stalked to his room to dress, thankful that Drake had not moved everything out yet. Once dressed, he paced, his anger ratcheting up another notch. A small part of him acknowledged the fact that Grace had said she did want to spend time with Annie, just not every waking moment, and he had to admit he understood what she was saying about Annie being in school. But the larger, angrier part of him quickly squashed the more rational part. Knowing he needed to calm down before he confronted Grace again, Oliver strode to the front door and told the Asp to bring the car around. He needed to drive, alone, to clear his head. Maybe then he could figure out a way to convince Grace he was right.

* * *

><p>Grace entered the kitchen, smiling at Mrs. Pugh as she helped Annie finish putting chocolate chip cookies onto a plate.<p>

"Mom!" Annie shouted, catching sight of Grace as she stood in the doorway. "Look at the cookies I made." She ran to her mother in excitement, the cookies sliding around dangerously on the plate.

"How about if I just take that for you?" Grace asked, grabbing the plate before the entire pile of cookies slipped to the floor. "These look wonderful sweetheart." Raising a thumb, she brushed a bit of flour from Annie's nose, smiling at Annie's beaming face.

"Try one," Annie encouraged and Grace took a small bite from one of the cookies.

"And they taste wonderful too," Grace said, setting the plate down on the counter to gather Annie into a hug.

"I want to bring some to Daddy too," Annie said, stepping out of Grace's embrace.

"Oh, well, I'm not sure where your father is at the moment," Grace said. She tried to smile genuinely at Annie, glancing at Helen as she did so. The older woman frowned questioningly, but Grace looked away quickly.

"What do you mean you don't know where he is? I thought you were working," Annie asked, confused.

"Well, he," Grace began, but was interrupted by Mrs. Pugh.

"Why don't you take some out to Jack and the other gardeners instead?" she suggested to Annie. "It's very hot today, I'll have Annette help you carry out some lemonade too. And we'll keep a few cookies back to save for your father, all right?" Annie smiled and nodded as Mrs. Pugh went and called for Annette. She took a large pitcher of lemonade from the refrigerator and put it and some glasses on a tray. Annie carried the plate of cookies, following carefully behind Annette, a determined look on her face. Grace couldn't help but chuckle as the pair made their way to the garden.

She looked back to see Helen setting two more glasses of lemonade down on the table. She gestured to Grace to join her as she sat down. Grace tried to smile as she lowered herself into a chair next to Helen, but it came off as more of a grimace.

"What's happened then?" Helen asked, taking a sip of her lemonade.

"I'm not sure, to be honest," Grace said, idly swirling her glass in her hand. "Oliver's very angry with me though."

"Whatever for?" Helen asked, somewhat incredulous. Grace sighed as tears pricked at her eyes again. This time though, she couldn't stop them from falling. A few moments later, she found herself gathered into Helen's arms and hugged the woman tightly as she relayed the fight she and Oliver had had.

"Oh that man," Helen grumbled as Grace sat up after composing herself. "Stubborn as a mule, I've always said."

"Well, he would probably say the same about me at the moment," Grace said with a sad smile. Helen chuckled.

"Well, he'd be right about that at least," she said, smirking at Grace who looked astonished for a moment, then laughed.

"I'd rather think of it as independent," Grace said, trying to keep a grin from her face. Helen laughed aloud at this and Grace couldn't help joining in.

"Regardless of what you want to call it, it doesn't help me with the problem at hand," Grace said, once the two had recovered.

"You know I can't tell you what to do," Helen replied, patting Grace's hand. "But you might want to start with a compromise." Grace's brow furrowed, considering Helen's suggestion.

"I don't know, Oliver didn't seem too willing to compromise earlier," Grace frowned. "Not even when I suggested we continue as we had been before the wedding, until Annie went to school."

"Yes, well, that's the thing about men," Helen said, winking at Grace. "You have to make them think it was their idea."

* * *

><p>Grace found Annie on the terrace, munching on cookies with Jack and the other gardeners. She stood in the doorway and watched for a few moments, smiling as Annie laughed at a face Jack was making. They had definitely made the right decision in agreeing to help Jack and Cecile adopt Molly. She had phoned Mr. Donatelli after her talk with Helen and he had seemed very pleased with the idea. He had agreed to start the paperwork right away and saw no reason why Molly couldn't be home in three or four days. He had suggested Jack and Cecile come to the orphanage the next day to speak with Molly about it.<p>

"Enough cookies young lady, you'll spoil your lunch," Grace said as she walked out onto the terrace.

"Just one more," Annie begged.

"Absolutely not," Grace said, but smiled down at the little girl. Annie smiled back and jumped up, taking Grace's hand.

"Are we still going to the movies today?" Annie asked.

"Of course we are," Grace replied. "I promised, didn't I?" The two began to walk into the house.

"Is Daddy Warbucks back yet?" Annie asked, skipping along beside Grace. Grace stopped, her hand involuntarily tightening on Annie's. "Mom?" Annie said in concern.

"Oh, um, no I, I don't think he is," Grace managed to say, forcing herself to loosen her grip on Annie's hand. Annie looked at her curiously as Grace forced a smile onto her face, hoping it seemed genuine. Annie looked at her for a few seconds more, then continued skipping, pulling Grace along behind.

"I hope he's home soon, I don't want him to miss the movie," Annie said.

"So do I, sweetheart, so do I," Grace said quietly, as the two walked to the dining room.

* * *

><p>But two hours later, Oliver had still not returned. Grace and Annie climbed into the back of the waiting car, Grace alternately fuming that Oliver had forgotten about the movie and terrified that something had happened to him. She had almost decided not to go after all, but one look at Annie's face made her reconsider. So the two of them were now making their way to the theater, driven by the Asp. Although he hadn't said anything, Grace could tell by his body language that he too was worried about his employer. Grace bit her lip as she met the bodyguard's gaze in the rear view mirror. He smiled at her, but somehow, it didn't make Grace feel any better.<p>

Once inside the theater, Grace's mind began to wander, paying no attention to the movie. Annie seemed to enjoy it, grinning up at Grace and laughing from time to time. Grace, on the other hand, was imagining all the horrible things that could have happened to Oliver during his drive. By the time the movie ended she had almost decided to have the Asp drive by the hospital on the way home, but realized she actually had no idea where Oliver had gone. Grace felt the urge to scream, whether out of anger or fear, she wasn't sure, when Annie asked her another question about the movie. Forcing herself to push her concern aside for the moment, she concentrated on her daughter until they reached the house.

Annie jumped from the car as soon as it stopped, chattering to Punjab, who stood on the front steps, about the movie. As the Asp helped her from the car, Grace's eyes met Punjab's. A small shake of his head told her that Oliver was still not home. Grace leaned back against the side of the car for support, her breath coming in short gasps. The Asp took Annie inside the house, promising her another lesson as soon as she changed her clothes, as Punjab approached Grace in concern.

"Mrs., are you all right?" Punjab asked quietly, placing a hand on Grace's arm.

"Mrs.? What happened to Grace?" she asked, choosing to focus on the least distressing topic.

"It was never Grace, always Miss Grace, but you are no longer a Miss, yes?" Punjab asked, quirking a brow at her.

"I suppose," Grace said smiling, her breathing back in control. "You haven't heard anything from him?"

"No, but that does not mean that anything is amiss," Punjab said. "Do not worry, he will return." Grace nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She took a deep breath and Punjab took her arm to help steady her as they walked into the house.

"Please tell the Asp that I will be in my rooms when Annie is finished with her lesson," Grace said, looking up at Punjab. "My _old_ rooms." If Punjab was surprised by this, he didn't say anything, just nodded slightly, then left to deliver Grace's message. Grace made her way to her room, hoping that Drake had not yet emptied it of everything.

* * *

><p>Oliver leaned against the trunk of the car, looking off into the distance. He'd driven east out of the city and had arrived in the Hamptons quite some time ago. He had driven to the beach and had sat contemplating the ocean ever since. He knew he should go home, knew everyone was probably worried, but he couldn't quite bring himself to leave. The lap of the waves upon the shore was soothing somehow and Oliver had fallen into somewhat of a stupor, his mind mercifully blank.<p>

A seagull screeching overhead brought him out of his daze. He looked up and watched the bird fly to the water's edge, landing gracefully on the sand and pecking at some unseen morsel. For a moment, Oliver envied the bird, concerned with nothing else besides where it would find its next meal. If only his own problems could be solved so easily.

Oliver sighed and ran a hand down his face. He really should start for home. He looked up and saw that the sun was much lower in the sky and with a start, realized it must be close to 7:00. His stomach growled as if to punctuate the lateness of the hour. Perhaps a stop for dinner before he went back, he was so late already, a little longer wouldn't hurt anything. Oliver climbed back into the car and drove to the nearest town, looking for a restaurant for dinner.

* * *

><p>Annie and Grace ate dinner in near silence, Grace unable to even pretend to not be worried. Annie seemed to sense her mother's anxiety, for her usual chatter and questions were noticeably absent. Finally, after Annette had brought out their dessert, Annie turned to Grace.<p>

"Mom, where's Daddy Warbucks?" she asked. Grace sighed, looking at her daughter, wondering exactly what to tell her. She finally decided on the truth.

"I don't know where he is, Annie," Grace replied quietly.

"Why did he leave?" Annie asked, her brow furrowed.

"Your father and I had an argument this morning," Grace said. "I expect he just wanted some time to think." Annie sat in silence for a moment, then looked up at Grace, her bottom lip quivering.

"Is he coming back?" Annie whispered, a tear escaping from each eye and making twin tracks down her cheeks.

"Oh sweetheart, of course he is," Grace said, gathering Annie into her arms and hugging her tightly. "He loves you very much, he would never leave you." Annie nodded into Grace's shoulder, then stepped back and looked at her.

"He loves you too," Annie said, smiling at Grace.

"Yes, yes, of course he does," Grace said, hugging Annie again, so she didn't have to try and force a smile onto her face, as she wasn't completely convinced of that fact at the moment. She held onto her little girl for another few minutes, until Annie started to squirm. "Come on, let's go for a walk in the garden and look at all the new flowers Jack planted," Grace said. Annie nodded her head, smiling widely and the two walked hand-in-hand out into the garden.

* * *

><p>Oliver drove up the drive of the house, glancing up to see almost all the lights in the house were off. He sighed, knowing Grace was going to be furious with him. His anger had all but disappeared, replaced by disappointment and resignation. He knew that Grace was not going to give up on wanting to work and he wasn't sure if he even wanted to fight her on it anymore. Not that he had changed his mind about the whole situation, but he knew he was fighting a losing battle. The only question that remained was if he was able to live with it and that was something he couldn't answer.<p>

As he stepped from the car Oliver glanced around quickly, sensing someone watching him. Punjab stepped from the shadows near the door.

"Sahib," Punjab said quietly.

"Punjab, you scared the daylights out of me," Oliver said, a hand to his chest.

"I am sorry, Sahib," Punjab replied, bowing slightly. "Perhaps it is similar to how the rest of us have been feeling for the last few hours." Oliver's face reddened at Punjab's words.

"Yes, well, I didn't plan on staying out so late," Oliver said, not meeting his bodyguard's eyes.

"But yet you did," Punjab said. Oliver scowled. He did not like feeling as if he were being scolded by one of his own employees.

"I am a grown man, am I not?" Oliver asked shortly. "I didn't realize I needed to clear my schedule with you." Punjab raised an eyebrow at this and Oliver sighed. "You know what I mean."

"You are correct Sahib, it is not me whom you need to clear things with," Punjab said, then turned and walked into the house. Oliver grimaced at Punjab's last words, a most unsubtle hint if Oliver had ever heard one. Resigning himself to the scene that was surely to take place, Oliver went into the house and made his way toward his new suite.

As he walked down the hall, he peeked in on Annie. She was sprawled across her bed on her stomach, covers tangled at her feet. Oliver chuckled and went in and straightened the sheets, pulling them up and around her. Annie stirred, blinking sleepily at him.

"Daddy Warbucks, you're home," she mumbled.

"Yes, sweetheart, I am," he replied. "Go back to sleep now."

"Mom was worried," Annie said, yawning widely. "You should probably say sorry," she trailed off, closing her eyes once more. Oliver started at her last words, then leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. He patted her arm and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. He leaned against the wall outside Annie's room, suddenly extremely tired. Grace must have been near frantic, if Annie had noticed that she was upset. This was not going to be a pleasant conversation.

Oliver walked across the hall and opened the door to their suite. The room was dark and as Oliver approached the bed, he could see that no one was in it. Nor had anyone been in it, as it was still neatly made. He turned on one of the bedside lamps and glanced around the room. None of Grace's things seemed to be here. He opened the closet and saw that it was empty. Had she changed her mind about the room then? Oliver stood looking confusedly around and then realized that maybe it wasn't the room Grace had changed her mind about. He groaned and began to walk to Grace's old rooms.

As he reached her door, Oliver could see light shining out from underneath it. She wasn't asleep then he thought ruefully, as he knocked lightly. But after a few seconds there was no response to his knock. He cracked the door open and saw Grace lying back on her chaise, seemingly asleep. He walked into the room, meaning to simply cover her up and go back to his own room. When he caught sight of her, however, his heart constricted painfully. Her face was flushed, her eyes red-rimmed from crying. She held a handkerchief in a death grip in her hands, her knuckles white. There was a grimace on her face, as if she were seeing something painful behind her closed eyelids.

"Oh, Grace, I'm sorry," he whispered, leaning down and laying a hand on her cheek. She woke then and when she opened her eyes, Oliver could see that they were red and bloodshot. It took her a minute to focus on him, but when she did she leapt from the sofa and threw herself into his arms. He hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek.

"Are you all right?" she asked, pulling back slightly from him and searching his face as if looking for some kind of injury.

"I'm fine," Oliver replied, smiling at her.

"You're sure?" she asked again, hands fluttering over him as if to assure herself he was still in one piece.

"Positive, I'm perfectly fine," Oliver said reassuringly. "I am sorry that I worried you." Grace looked up at him again, then took another step back from him. Oliver watched warily as her expression changed from one of concern to one of irritation.

"_Where_ have you _been_?" she demanded vehemently, irritation now changing to anger. Oliver took an unconscious step back.

"I was just out driving," he said.

"Just out driving?" Grace spat back, incredulous. "For twelve hours?" Oliver simply looked at her, unable or unwilling to answer. "Do you know how worried I was about you? How worried we all were? I was ready to start searching the hospitals for you." She crossed her arms in front of her, glaring at him.

"I'm sorry," Oliver insisted. "I lost track of the time."

"Did you also lose track of the proper way to use a phone?" she asked, fire flashing in her eyes.

"No, I just," Oliver trailed off, not really knowing why had hadn't called.

"You just wanted me to worry, is that it?" she asked shortly.

"No," Oliver insisted, irritated. "I'm sorry, all right? What else do you want me to say?" All at once, Grace seemed to deflate. She sank back down onto the chaise, her head in her hands. Oliver thought she might be crying, but when she looked up, she just looked tired.

"Nothing Oliver, I don't want you to say anything," she said quietly.

"Grace," Oliver began, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"I'm tired Oliver, it's been an extremely long day. I just want to go to bed," she said.

"Fine," Oliver said, turning toward the door. "Are we still moving into the new suite? I didn't see any of your things in the room. "

"I don't know," Grace said tiredly.

"Well, are we going to sleep there tonight?" Grace shook her head. "Here again?" Oliver asked. Again Grace shook her head. "Where then?" he asked, testily.

"_We_ are not sleeping anywhere. _I_ am sleeping here, in my room," Grace said, getting up from the chaise. "_You_ can sleep anywhere you like, as long as it isn't here." She turned and walked into her bathroom, closing the door behind her. Oliver stood gaping at her for a moment, then turned and walked from her room, slamming the door behind him.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N - Another chapter on time, yay for me! Thanks to all my reviewers, I smile every time I see that notice in my inbox. :)**

Oliver sat at his desk sipping coffee as the clock quietly chimed in the background. He glanced up, 8:00 already. Oliver had been there for more than two hours now, but had not accomplished much of anything. He had not slept well the night before, having gotten used to Grace sleeping curled against him, and his bed seemed too large and too cold without her. He had finally given up on sleep around 5:00, deciding instead to come to his office and try to work.

"A lot of good that did," he muttered to himself, pushing away the pile of papers in front of him. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, wondering if he should go and talk to Grace. With the mood she had been in the night before, he thought it highly likely she wouldn't even let him in her room. Oliver sighed, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. He had definitely made a mess of things, no question about that.

The more he thought about it, however, the more annoyed he became. Yes, he should have called and let Grace know he was all right, but he would have never left in the first place if she weren't so stubborn. He knew the question of her working still hung heavily between them and he certainly hadn't changed his mind about it. Oliver was not looking forward to the confrontation that was to come, especially on as little sleep as he'd had. Sighing again, he rose from his desk, knowing Annie would be up shortly. He decided to have breakfast with his daughter before having to face his wife.

* * *

><p>Grace lay in bed, not wanting to get up and face the day. She had slept badly, having become so used to Oliver's comforting warmth next to her. She hated the fact that they had not even been married for a week and were already sleeping in separate beds. She wished she could just turn back the clock and pretend that none of this had ever happened. Things had been so wonderful, just 24 hours ago, she almost couldn't fathom how it had all changed so quickly. If only Oliver weren't so stubborn. Grace knew they still needed to talk about her working, but she was dreading that conversation.<p>

Grace sighed, glancing at the clock at the bedside. It was 8:00, Grace knew that Annie would be up soon, but somehow, she couldn't force herself to get up. Knowing that Annie would come and find her when she awoke, Grace decided to close her eyes for just a few minutes, but soon feel into an exhausted sleep.

* * *

><p>Oliver walked down the hall toward Grace's room. He was surprised when she hadn't come to the dining room for breakfast and after inquiring with Mrs. Pugh, he found that she had not sent down for a tray either. Jack and Cecile had come in during breakfast, asking if Annie would like to go with them when they went to talk to Molly at the orphanage. Annie was more than excited to see her friends again and begged Oliver to let her go. He relented, figuring it would give him a chance to speak to Grace without the worry of being interrupted. It was now well after 9:00 and he was concerned that Grace had still not arisen.<p>

Oliver knocked lightly on Grace's door, but she did not answer. He reached for the doorknob, but paused, wondering if he should enter uninvited. Ridiculous, he thought to himself, standing here unsure if he was allowed in his _own wife's_ suite. Still, her anger from the night before was vivid in his mind, perhaps he should just wait until she woke up. On the other hand, there could be something wrong, Grace rarely slept so late unless she was ill. He vacillated between leaving or walking in for a few more moments until he finally decided he was being absurd and opened the door in front of him.

Grace was not in the sitting room as Oliver entered the suite and all was quiet. He made his way into the bedroom and saw her still asleep in her bed. Frowning, Oliver approached the bed, reaching a hand out to her, then pulling it back, not sure if he should touch her. Shaking his head at his hesitancy, he sat down on the bed, lightly running a finger down Grace's cheek. Her eyes opened and she smiled slightly, but sadly, as she looked up at him.

"Good morning," he said quietly.

"Morning," she answered.

"I'm sorry that I woke you, but I was a little worried when you didn't come down to breakfast," Oliver said.

"What time is it?" Grace asked.

"Almost 9:30," Oliver replied.

"Oh, well, I didn't sleep very well last night," Grace admitted. Oliver nodded knowingly. "Where's Annie?"

"She went with Jack and Cecile to talk to Molly," Oliver said. Grace nodded. Oliver cleared his throat. "I thought maybe you might want to talk, while she's gone." Grace glanced at him, looking resigned.

"Yes, I suppose there are a few things we need to discuss," she said.

"Shall I meet you in the study then?" Oliver asked.

"No, let's just stay here," Grace said. "I'll be out in just a minute, all right?" Oliver nodded, then retreated to the sitting room. Grace joined him a few minutes later, clad in her nightgown and robe, slippers on her feet. Her hair was still tousled from sleep and Oliver was distracted for a moment, wanting nothing more than to take her in his arms and pretend yesterday had never happened. He almost forgot why he was angry in the first place and then he wondered if that was her intention all along, wanting to stay in her room. He rejected the thought almost as quickly as it had come, that wasn't something Grace would do. Neither of them spoke for several minutes, until Oliver could no longer stand the silence.

"Grace, I am sorry about yesterday, not calling to let you know I was all right," Oliver said, looking truly regretful.

"I know," Grace said. "Just please don't ever do that to me again. You don't know how frantic I was Oliver." She looked up at him, a shudder running through her, pain in her eyes. Oliver swallowed hard, before a lump could form in his throat, then nodded.

"About the rest of it," Oliver began. "I don't suppose you've changed your mind."

"No," Grace replied. "I don't suppose you've changed yours either."

"No," Oliver admitted.

"Where does that leave us then?" Grace asked.

"Well, I suppose I could always fire you," Oliver said, only half-joking.

"Yes, and I suppose I could just go out and find another job," Grace said calmly.

"I suppose you could," Oliver said, just as calmly. It was unnerving him, the matter-of-fact way they were discussing the whole thing.

"But, that would mean I wouldn't be here if Annie needed me," Grace pointed out. "I'd be working somewhere else."

"True," Oliver agreed. He knew they were dancing around the real question. If he did fire Grace and she did go and get another job, would their marriage survive? Oliver wasn't sure that it would. If he didn't want her to work for him, at home, how could he live with her leaving the house every day and working for someone else?

"Seems as if we've reached an impasse then," Grace said quietly.

"Seems as if we have," Oliver said, just as quietly.

"So, what are we going to do about it?" Grace asked, locking gazes with Oliver. He could see the sadness in her eyes, but also the hope that he might change his mind. He stared at her for a moment, then looked down at his hands. It seemed easier to stick to his point of view if he didn't have to look at her.

"I don't know," he answered, truly at a loss for a solution. She nodded sadly at this, looking down herself. They sat in silence again, until Grace gave a small sigh. Oliver glanced up at her, but she ignored him, standing and walking to the window. Arms crossed, she looked out upon the grounds as Oliver watched her, and after a few seconds he saw her swipe a hand quickly across her face. He knew she was crying, knew he should go to her, but for some reason, couldn't force himself out of his seat. He waited, hoping she would say something, anything, but when she didn't, he got to his feet. He took a step toward her and she seemed to sense it, for she wrapped her arms more tightly around herself, as if to ward him off. Oliver stopped, resigned, and turned toward the door.

"I'll be in the office if you need me," he said, looking back at Grace. She didn't acknowledge his statement, just continued to stare out the window. "Jack and Cecile thought they would be back by lunchtime." At this she gave a quick nod, but still didn't turn to look at him. Oliver sighed, then reached for the doorknob. He pulled the door open and slipped out, whispering, "I love you Grace," as he shut it softly behind him.

As the door closed behind him, Grace heard Oliver's parting words. "I love you too," she whispered back, before collapsing back on the chaise, dissolving into sobs.

* * *

><p>Just before lunch, Grace made her way downstairs after hearing the car drive up, knowing Annie had returned. As Grace stepped off the staircase, Annie burst through the front door, a wide smile on her face. Grace couldn't help but grin at the sight of the little girl, obviously excited from her visit.<p>

"Mom!" Annie called, as she ran to hug her mother. "Guess what? Jack and Cecile are adopting Molly. She's coming to live here! Well, not here in the house, but here in Jack and Cecile's cottage. Isn't that exciting?" Grace chuckled as Annie jumped up and down in front of her.

"It's wonderful dear," Grace said, ruffling Annie's hair. "Now you'll have someone you know at school with you." Annie smiled wider and Grace hugged her again, feeling some of her melancholy lessen in the presence of the Annie's exuberance.

"I thought I heard a commotion down here." Grace turned to see Oliver walking down the stairs. She glanced away quickly as Annie ran to meet him.

"Daddy Warbucks, Molly is coming to live here!" Annie squealed as Oliver swung her up into his arms.

"So I've heard," Oliver said, kissing her on the cheek. "Is she as excited about it as you are?"

"Uh-huh," Annie said, nodding her head. "Mr. Donatelli said Jack and Cecile could pick her up on Sunday."

"Well, that's wonderful news, isn't it?" Oliver said, smiling at Annie. He turned to Jack and Cecile who were standing near the stairs watching Annie and smiling. "Why don't the two of you join us for lunch and tell us all about it?" Oliver suggested.

"Oh no sir, we couldn't," Jack began, looking shocked at the invitation.

"Nonsense," Oliver insisted. "We want to hear all the particulars. Don't we Grace?" He turned to Grace, who forced a smile and nodded.

"Of course we do," Grace agreed, surprised that Oliver had deferred to her and hoping the smile on her face belied her shock. "Shall we?" she gestured toward the dining room and Jack and Cecile looked at each other for a moment, then nodded to Grace following her, Annie and Oliver trailing behind.

* * *

><p>After lunch, Oliver retreated back to his office and Grace and Annie went for a walk in the gardens. Annie's constant chatter was like a balm for Grace's spirit. She found herself smiling while Annie told her all about her visit to the orphanage. Grace was very happy that everything had worked out for Jack and Cecile and she hoped that Molly would be as happy with them as Annie seemed to be with Grace and Oliver.<p>

Grace sighed as she thought of Oliver and truly wondered how they were going to move on from this stalemate they had found themselves in. She thought of Helen's words about making a compromise seem as if it were Oliver's idea, but Grace had not an inkling as to how to go about it. She was used to solving all kinds of problems relating to the house or the business and it was very disconcerting when she couldn't seem to do anything about her own.

"Mom?" Annie said, interrupting Grace's reverie.

"Yes, dear?" Grace said, smiling down at her.

"How come you and Daddy didn't move into the room across from mine?" Annie asked.

"What?" Grace said, startled by the question.

"Well, when I went in there this morning to find you, it was empty. Daddy found me in the hallway, but when I asked about the room, he didn't really answer me," Annie finished, a confused look on her face.

"Oh, well," Grace paused, realizing once again just how perceptive Annie was. "With your father being gone all day yesterday, we just didn't get the chance to move in. We'll get around to it, don't worry." Grace smiled at her daughter, but Annie didn't seem completely convinced. Instead of asking more questions though, she just nodded and continued on with another story about her friends and the orphanage. Grace, however, realized that she and Oliver would need to do something and quickly, before Annie caught on to what was really going on between them. The last thing she wanted was for Annie to be hurt by their argument, let alone try to blame herself somehow. Which she would, Grace knew. Grace sighed, suddenly very tired.

"Sweetheart, why don't you go and read in your room for a while?" Grace suggested. "I need to go and talk to your father for a few minutes."

"Okay," Annie agreed and the two of them made their way back into the house, Grace dropping Annie off in her room before she went in search of Oliver.

He was still in his office, brow furrowed as he looked over some papers, when Grace entered. He glanced up at her, then back down to the papers in front of him. Grace crossed the room and slid down tiredly onto the sofa, leaning back into the soft leather and closing her eyes as she waited for Oliver to finish what he was doing.

"Grace, do you have the file on the Morton deal?" Oliver asked her without looking up. "I can't seem to find it."

"It's in the second drawer of my desk, on the left side," Grace answered, not moving from the sofa. Oliver glanced up, surprised that she hadn't gotten it herself and saw her sitting with her eyes closed, legs tucked up under her. He got up immediately and went to her, worry crossing his face.

"Grace," Oliver said, kneeling down beside her. "Are you all right?" He put a hand on her arm.

"What?" Grace asked, looking up at him confused. "Oh, yes, I'm fine, just tired."

"Are you sure?" Oliver asked, "You look a bit pale."

"Lack of sleep will do that to you, I suppose," Grace replied.

"You barely ate anything at lunch and you skipped breakfast too," Oliver reprimanded gently.

"I wasn't hungry," Grace said, trying to wave off his concern.

"Grace," Oliver began, but Grace cut him off.

"Oliver, please, I'm doing the best I can," she said quietly, then realized angrily that she was on the verge of tears yet again.

"I know, I'm sorry," he said and moved to sit beside her, taking her into his arms. They sat that way for a long time until Grace finally pulled away.

"There is something I need to talk to you about," Grace said. "I was out walking with Annie and she wanted to know why we hadn't moved into the new suite." Oliver sighed.

"Yes, she asked me the same thing this morning," he admitted. "What do you propose we do about it?" He looked at her, hoping to hear the answer he wanted. Grace sat silently, biting her bottom lip.

"I suppose we had better move in as planned," Grace finally said. "I don't want her upset and blaming herself for problems that are yours and mine alone." She looked at Oliver almost defiantly, and he nodded in agreement.

"I'll let Drake know and have the staff move everything as quickly as they can," Oliver said. Then he paused and looked at Grace, as if weighing something in his mind. "I guess this means that we'll be in the same room again? Tonight?" He searched Grace's face, but her expression was unreadable.

"Yes, I guess it does," Grace said as she stood. She locked gazes with Oliver. "You know however, that being in the same bed and actually sharing it are two very different things." Oliver's gaze didn't waver, but he did not speak. Then Grace turned and walked from the office.

"Yes," Oliver said to himself as she left. "But, it's a start."

* * *

><p>Grace spent the rest of the afternoon directing the staff where to put her and Oliver's belongings as they were moved into the new suite. By dinner time everything was in some semblance of order, but Grace found herself wishing there were more to do, so she could avoid the dining room. She sighed in exasperation.<p>

"Pull it together, Grace," she admonished aloud. "And quit being such a damn crybaby." Grace very rarely swore, but she had had it with herself and the way she was handling the entire situation. Constantly crying, refusing to eat, avoiding her husband, it was getting ridiculous really. She certainly wasn't going to change Oliver's mind with the way she was acting. No, to change Oliver's mind she was going to have act as her normal, independent, reliable self. He needed to realize that he couldn't do his job without her and want her to stay. Grace smiled, remembering she had thought much the same way when she decided to stop pursuing Oliver and that had obviously turned out better than she ever could have hoped for. She squared her shoulders and pulled herself up to her full height, going to join her family for dinner.

After dinner, Grace had helped Annie bathe and get ready for bed. She was currently snuggling with Annie in her bed, while the girl read to her. Grace smiled remembering Oliver's expression when she had entered the dining room, he seemed startled by her very demeanor and even more so when she spoke to him in a normal manner. They had made plans to take Annie on a picnic to the park and zoo the following day, as Grace felt it important for Molly to spend her first day with her new parents without any distractions from Annie.

As Annie's eyelids began to droop, Grace carefully took the book from her hands and settled her under the covers. Annie yawned, then closed her eyes all together as Grace kissed her good night. Grace walked to the door, but jumped when it opened before she could reach it.

"Oliver, you startled me," she said, laughing a bit.

"Sorry, just coming in to say good night," he whispered, seeing Annie already asleep.

"I'm heading to bed myself," Grace said. "It's been a long day." Oliver nodded, then hesitated, still blocking the doorway.

"Do you mind," he paused, as if unsure if he should ask. "Do you mind if I join you?" Grace shrugged her shoulders.

"It's your bedroom too," she replied, as nonchalantly as she could.

"I'll be there shortly then," he said smiling and she nodded, walking around him and crossing the hall to their suite. As she readied herself for bed, Grace was surprised to find that she was jumpy, her stomach full of butterflies. Completely ludicrous, she thought to herself, as if there were anything to be nervous about. She was standing next to the bed as Oliver entered the room. He stopped and stared at her, as she stood in her nightgown, and Grace felt the butterflies again, before forcing herself to turn away from him and climb into bed, settling down under the covers. She closed her eyes, but didn't sleep, waiting for Oliver. As he settled in beside her, she found herself holding her breath, waiting. Oliver lay on his back for a moment before he said a quiet good night and then turned on his side, his back to her. Grace released the breath silently, finding herself surprisingly disappointed as she followed Oliver's example, and turned on her side as well.

* * *

><p>The next week passed by in a blur. Molly's arrival had definitely increased the volume and activity level in the house, but so far, everything seemed to be going well. Jack and Cecile and arranged their schedules with Oliver so that one of them could always be with Molly when she wasn't in her school lessons with Annie or the swimming lessons that Grace had insisted upon. Cecile often had Annie at their small cottage as the two girls were always eager to play together and Grace had Molly to the house as well. They loved to help Jack and the gardeners and Annie was becoming even better informed about all the plants in the gardens than Grace was. Mrs. Pugh often asked the two of them for help making cookies or cakes, which the girls took to very enthusiastically. The kitchen often looked as though a flour bomb had exploded in it when they were finished, but Helen never seemed to mind, just chuckled as she swept the floor and wiped down the counters.<p>

Annie was so busy, that Grace found herself in the office more and more often. At first, she had entered almost tenatively, as if Oliver would order her out as soon as he saw her. And he did look at her curiously the first time, but never said anything. After that, she began to come whenever Annie was busy. As of yet, Oliver hadn't said anything positive about her continuing to work, but he hadn't protested against her being there either. As soon as Annie was finished with a lesson or needed something, Grace would drop whatever she was doing immediately and attend to her, sometimes leaving in the middle of Oliver dictating a letter. While this seemed to annoy him, something Grace couldn't help but chuckle about, she could tell that he was also pleased about it. As they settled into more of a routine every day, Grace began to hope that Oliver would soon see that this was a compromise that could work for everyone.

As for the two of them, while they had no problems communicating while working or about Annie, they were still distant with each other. Oliver had not touched her since the time he had taken her in his arms in the office. They slept in the same bed, but it seemed to Grace as if there were an invisible wall separating the two sides. And Oliver never came to bed until after Grace was asleep, or thought she was anyway. Grace rarely fell asleep before Oliver came in, it just didn't seem right without him there. And the longer it went on, the harder it became for Grace to do anything about it. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't seem to get over that wall to the other side. She had even started to think that perhaps he was no longer interested, until she caught him looking at her earlier that day while she was working at her desk. He looked away as soon as she glanced up, but she saw the spark in his eye. Grace knew it was their own stubbornness that refused to let either of them make the first move, but she hadn't been able to let go of hers, even after acknowledging it.

Grace shook her head as she climbed into bed, hoping that Oliver wouldn't be long, she was particularly tired tonight for some reason. She yawned widely and pulled the sheet up around her, falling asleep almost before her head hit the pillow.

* * *

><p>Oliver entered their room not twenty minutes later, hoping that Grace was still awake. He really wanted to talk to her about their whole situation which was getting quite ridiculous in his opinion. He had intended to follow her when she announced she was retiring for the night, but just as he went to leave his office, Drake arrived with a small issue he had needed to speak to Oliver about. And now Grace seemed to be asleep. Oliver knew that she was often still awake when he came to bed, but pretended that he didn't. But tonight it appeared she actually was. Oliver whispered her name softly, just to be sure, but when she didn't stir, he sighed and went into the bathroom.<p>

As he brushed his teeth, he replayed the conversation he had intended to have with her. While Oliver never admitted to being wrong and rarely changed his mind about anything, he had to confess that in this instance, Grace had been right. Annie didn't need her all the time and when she did, Grace always made sure she was available. If Annie wasn't in lessons or playing with Molly, Grace was with her or they both were. Annie seemed no worse for wear with her mother working, on the contrary, the girl seemed to be thriving and Oliver had never seen her happier. Oliver sighed as he wiped his face. He had been wrong and Grace needed to know about it. And if truth be told, Oliver was glad. He had never wanted to have to replace Grace in the first place, knew he would never find someone who he worked as well with. Although he supposed the fact that he was in love with her helped just a little bit. He chuckled as he climbed into bed beside her and instead of turning his back as he had every night for the past week, moved so he was curled around her body, his hand on her hip.

* * *

><p>Grace woke in the middle of the night, knowing something was wrong. As she lay in the darkness trying to figure out why she had awoken, she felt the weight of Oliver's hand on her hip and felt his body pressed up against hers. She sighed in contentment, but before she could contemplate this turn of events and what it meant, her belly cramped and she ran to the bathroom, thinking she was going to be sick. But as she reached it, she realized it was a different kind of cramp all together. Once she had taken care of everything, Grace let out a shuddering breath and leaned back against the wall, sinking down to the floor. With everything that had been going on, she had completed forgotten about her earlier thoughts about the nursery and had never expected to be so disappointed. Grace drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her cheek on her knees as the tears trickled from her eyes.<p>

* * *

><p>Oliver shifted in the bed as something worked its way into his unconsciousness. As he floated into wakefulness, he realized that Grace was no longer in the bed. Lifting his head, he looked around the room and then heard sounds coming from the bathroom. Oliver swung his legs out of bed and walked quietly to the bathroom door. He pressed his ear up against it and realized Grace was quietly sobbing. His heart leapt into his throat as he knocked on the door.<p>

"Grace? Are you all right?" Oliver asked. There was silence for a moment, followed by quiet sniffling.

"I'm fine," Grace said in a voice that told Oliver she was definitely _not_ fine.

"Grace, I'm coming in all right?" Oliver said. Hearing no protests, he opened the door and stepped into the bathroom. Grace was sitting on the floor, her arms wrapped around her knees. Her face was flushed from crying and Oliver could see that while she was trying valiantly, she could not stop the course of tears down her cheeks. He squatted down in front of her, taking one of her hands in his.

"What is it darling? Are you ill?" Oliver asked, his heart thumping loudly.

"No, no, nothing like that," Grace said, sniffing and trying to wipe the tears off her cheeks with her already damp nightgown. Oliver reached up and took a towel from the counter and handed it to her.

"What is it then?" Oliver asked, brushing back a strand of hair from her face.

"It's just," Grace paused. "Nothing, it's nothing." She still hadn't looked at him and Oliver took her chin in his hand, gently tipping her head up until her eyes met his.

"Grace, you're sitting on the bathroom floor in the middle of the night crying. It most certainly is something," Oliver said, brushing a few stray tears away with his thumb. "Now please, tell me what's wrong." Grace sat motionless, looking at him for a few moments, then her bottom lip started to tremble and without a word, she threw herself into Oliver's arms. He held her tightly, relishing the feel of his wife back in his arms again, but hating that the reason was because she was so clearly upset about something. He rubbed her back until the worst of her sobs had subsided, then kissed her temple and drew back a bit to look at her again.

"Now will you please tell me what's wrong?" he asked as tears continued to leak from her eyes. Grace bit her lip and took a deep breath.

"It's just, when I picked out this room, I thought the little connecting room might be a nursery and then I thought after our honeymoon that maybe, I might be, I might be pregnant," she managed to get out. "But now, now I know I'm not and well, I'm just being silly and emotional and I know that I could still be, later, but I'm not now and I just, well I was just more disappointed than I thought. And now I'm not even making sense." Grace shook her head and hid her face in her hands. Oliver, however, hadn't moved. He hadn't thought about Grace being pregnant since they had been in the hotel in Boston, not concretely anyway. But even though he hadn't really thought about it, he was disappointed to find out she wasn't. Oliver forced himself back to Grace and took her hands away from her face, kissing each palm.

"You are not being silly and you are making sense. And it's all right to be disappointed, I am too," Oliver said. "Are you sure you're not?" Grace nodded.

"Positive," she said, sniffling again.

"I'm sorry," Oliver said.

"For what?" Grace asked, looking confused.

"Well, partly because you're disappointed, but mostly because of the way I've acted this last week," he said, looking down at their joined hands. He took a deep breath. "I was wrong, about you working I mean. You were right about not needing to be with Annie every minute, but you're still always there for her when she needs you. You're a wonderful mother Grace and I know you love your job and I shouldn't have tried to take that away from you and I'm sorry." He glanced up at Grace when he was finished speaking, but she was just sitting, staring at him. "Grace?" he said when she hadn't spoken for a few minutes.

"I'm sorry, I," Grace stopped as if she was unsure how to continue.

"What is it?" Oliver asked, worried that he had waited too long to tell her, that she didn't want, but before the thought had even completed itself in his head, Grace launched herself at him, knocking them both to the floor and kissing him for all she was worth. Oliver's arms slid up around her waist and he kissed her back with all the passion and need that had been building for a week. Her hands clutched at his shoulders and one of his slid up her side to tangle in her hair, the other sliding to the small of her back to pull her more firmly against him. It wasn't until she broke the kiss and the two of them were looking at each other panting, that he realized they were lying on the very hard, very cold bathroom floor. He began to laugh and after a moment Grace did too and they laughed until they were both breathless once again.

When they had composed themselves, Oliver rolled out from under Grace and stood, holding a hand out to help her up. Then he scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to their bed. He lay down beside her and wrapped an arm around her, her head lying on his chest. He stroked her hair and she sighed contentedly, tracing small circles on his chest.

"Tell me what you're thinking," Oliver said quietly.

"That I don't think I've ever heard you say you were wrong and that you were sorry in the same sentence," she said and Oliver could feel her smile against him. He chuckled.

"Hm, I think you're probably right about that," he said. "At any rate, I guess I should have listened to you in the first place about a compromise." At this Grace chuckled herself, trying to hold in the much louder laugh she knew was waiting.

"What's funny?" he asked, shifting to look at her. Grace just shook her head, burying her head deeper into his chest.

"Nothing," she managed to gasp out and he quirked an eyebrow at her, but she had pressed her lips together, although he could see she was still laughing. He shook his head and rolled his eyes at her, which just made her laugh harder. Finally, Oliver flipped them, so he was hovering over Grace. Her laughs stopped abruptly as he brought his lips to hers and he kissed her for a very long time. When they parted, she looked up at him with desire and regret in her eyes.

"What?" he asked, his voice husky.

"Oliver, I can't," she said.

"Oh," he said, trying to keep the emotion off his face, but apparently failing because Grace looked guilty as he looked back at her. "If it's too soon, I," but Grace interrupted him.

"No, it's not that," she said, still looking regretful. "It's just, the reason I was in the bathroom in the first place." She looked at him pointedly. He looked confused for a moment, then seemed to realize what she meant because he sighed, resting his forehead against hers.

"I'm sorry," she said, cupping his cheek in her hand.

"No need to be," he said, moving back so he was lying on his side next to her, propped up on his elbow. He ran a finger down her arm and back up her side and Grace shuddered, then looked at him almost pleadingly.

"All right," he said. "I'll stop torturing you." He kissed her again, softly and slowly and then gathered her to him, her head once again resting on his chest. As Grace snuggled in closer to him, Oliver smiled, happy enough, for the moment, to have his wife back in his arms.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N - I have been writing like crazy this week, so you get another chapter early. Not sure when the next one will be done, most likely not on Monday, but keep a look out for it! If you feel like reviewing and letting me know what you think, I'd love it! **

Grace woke the next morning, feeling rested and happy for the first time in a week. She was still nestled against Oliver, listening to his rhythmic breathing. She shifted a bit and felt him stir. He smiled at her when he opened his eyes, then pulled her in tighter to his side, running a finger up and down her arm. Grace smiled and kissed his chest where she lay, taking his other hand in hers. He kissed the top of her head and sighed in contentment.

"Sleep well?" he asked.

"Better than I have in a week," she admitted. "You?"

"The same," he said, smiling again. They lay in silence for a few moments before Grace propped her chin on Oliver's chest.

"Are you sure you're okay with me working?" Grace asked, looking serious. "I don't want you to have changed your mind just because we weren't, close, lately." Oliver sat up, bringing Grace with him, keeping an arm around her.

"I meant what I said last night, and it wasn't because I wanted to kiss you again," he said solemnly. "Although that was a definite bonus." Grace laughed and kissed him quickly on the lips. "You were right about working. I just wish that I had listened to you from the beginning and then none of this would have happened."

"It's all right, darling," Grace said, caressing his cheek. "We got to the right place in the end."

"Yes, but still," Oliver protested. Grace stopped him from continuing by leaning in and kissing him. When they broke apart, Oliver smiled.

"That was a very pleasant way to tell me to shut up," he smiled down at her and kissed her again.

"I would bet that we'll be getting interrupted any time now," Grace said as he pulled back from her.

"I suppose you're right," Oliver said sighing. He kissed her once more before the two of them got up to meet their daughter and begin the day.

* * *

><p>Oliver was in his office a few hours later, waiting for Grace to arrive, when the telephone rang. Answering it, Oliver discovered Walt Stevens on the other end. With all that had happened in the preceding week, Oliver had nearly forgotten about William Bennett.<p>

"Walt, what do you have for me?" Oliver asked.

"I've found him," Walt said. "He was in Philadelphia for a while, but I followed him back to Pittsburgh. He visited his mother for a few days and now he's staying in some seedy motel."

"Good, good," Oliver said. "Are you up for a bit more work?"

"Always," Walt replied.

"I want you to keep following him, find out where he goes, who he talks to, what he does. I want a detailed report on all of his activities. Pictures of anything illegal would be even better."

"You got it Mr. Warbucks," Walt said.

"Thanks Walt," Oliver ended the call just as Grace came into the office. She smiled at him as she went to her desk to get out the reports they had been working on the day before. Oliver felt a stab of guilt about what he was doing without Grace's knowledge, but convinced himself that it was the right thing in the long run.

Oliver didn't hear anything from Walt for another two weeks. When he called in with a report, the news wasn't what Oliver was hoping for. William Bennett had done nothing more than drink and play cards or pool in various bars and had disappeared in the middle of the night. There had been no forwarding address left at the hotel and Walt had checked at William's mother's home, but he had not returned there either. Walt was on his way back to New York, after having talked to an acquaintance of his in Pittsburgh about keeping an ear out for any news of William. Oliver was frustrated, wishing once more that he had not made that promise to Grace. He could have flown out to Pittsburgh as soon as they had found him and taken care of Bennett himself. Oliver sighed, realizing there was nothing he could do about it now, except read Walt's report and try and figure out where William had gone.

* * *

><p>July gave way to August which passed in a flurry of activity with the children, work for Oliver and Grace and a short weekend to the Hamptons for the three of them. Annie and Molly were practically inseparable, going back and forth between the house and Jack and Cecile's cottage. There had been a few sleepovers, both girls comfortable at either home, Sandy traveling back and forth with Annie wherever she went. Grace was actually concerned what would happen to the dog when the girls went off to school, as much a part of their play as he was. They had left him with Jack and Cecile the weekend Oliver, Grace and Annie had gone to the Hamptons and Jack had told them how quiet and unlike himself the dog was while they were gone. Well, they'd all have to adjust, herself included, Grace thought, as school started in a little over a week.<p>

Grace wasn't sure what she was going to do with herself once Annie went off to school. She was so used to spending time with Annie during the day, it was going to be strange for her to be gone. Grace supposed she and Oliver would get back to a more normal work day, instead of the hour or two of work interrupted by an hour or two of time spent with Annie. Grace knew both girls were very excited about school though, so it was hard for Grace to be sad about it.

The night before school was to start, Grace was busy in Annie's room, laying out her uniform for the following day. Annie was finishing up her bath, Sandy lying at the end of her bed when he raised his head, his ears pricking forward. His tail began to thump lightly against the bed and Grace turned to the bathroom door expecting to see Annie coming back into the room. The door was still closed however, and when Grace turned back around, Sandy had gotten down from the bed and was staring at Annie's bedroom door, whining softly. Frowning, Grace approached the door and as she got nearer, she heard soft snuffling noises coming from outside. Grace hurriedly opened the door to find Molly sitting in the hall, her face buried in her knees, crying softly.

"Molly!" she exclaimed, squatting down beside the little girl. "What's the matter? Are you hurt?" Molly shook her head, not looking up at Grace. "Does your mother know you're here?" Molly peeked out from her knees, looking guiltily up at Grace. She slowly shook her head again.

"Oh sweetheart, she must be frantic," Grace said and Molly's lip began to quiver. "Shh, it's all right, don't cry." Grace picked the little girl up and Molly clung to her, burying her face in Grace's shoulder. Grace hesitated outside the door. She knew she needed to let Cecile and Jack know that Molly was all right, but she didn't want to leave Annie alone.

As she stood biting her lip, Grace heard a door open and Oliver came into view. Grace breathed a sigh of relief as he came down the hall, brow furrowing as he saw Grace holding Molly.

"What's all this?" Oliver asked as he approached the pair.

"I'm not sure, but I don't think Jack and Cecile know she's here," Grace said, rubbing Molly's back, as her sobs slowly subsided. "Can you send someone down to the cottage? Annie's in the bath, I don't want to leave her alone."

"Of course," Oliver said, patting Molly on the shoulder. "I'll take care of it." Grace nodded as he turned and headed downstairs.

"Now sweetheart, do you want to tell me what's got you so upset?" Grace asked, as she walked back into Annie's room. Molly shook her head and put her thumb into her mouth, something Grace hadn't noticed her do since she had first arrived back in July. It seemed to be a nervous habit and Molly had settled in so quickly, that it had disappeared soon after. Grace sat down on Annie's bed, brushing Molly's hair back from her face and cuddling her on her lap.

"Did something happen at home?" Grace asked, not expecting this to be the case. Jack and Cecile doted on the little girl. Molly shook her head again. "With Annie?" Again, another head shake. "Won't you please tell me? I can't help if I don't know what's wrong," Grace pressed.

Molly looked up at Grace, her big brown eyes shining with unshed tears and whispered, "School."

"Are you scared about going to school tomorrow?" Grace asked gently. Molly nodded quickly, then buried her face in Grace's shoulder again. "It's all right to be scared you know. I think Annie is a bit nervous herself."

"Annie's not afraid of anything," Molly said quietly.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Grace said, smiling down at Molly. "Did I ever tell you about the first night Annie slept here?" Molly shook her head, looking interested. "Well," Grace continued. "Mr. Warbucks and I were working late and Annie was so scared to sleep in this room by herself that she came bursting into the office, right in the middle of the letter Mr. Warbucks was dictating. She tried to blame it on Sandy, but we knew she was really the one who was scared," Grace smiled as Molly giggled. Grace heard the bathroom door open and glanced over Molly's head to see Annie standing in the doorway. Grace raised a finger to her lips and Annie nodded, remaining in the bathroom, but keeping the door open a bit.

"I know that going to a new school can be scary, but Annie will be with you," Grace reminded Molly.

"But Annie's in 5th grade, I'm only in 2nd," Molly said, playing with the collar of Grace's blouse, talking around the thumb in her mouth. "She won't be with me in my class."

"That's true," Grace replied. "But, that will give you a chance to make new friends. And you'll see her at lunch." Molly shrugged, as if that were not much consolation.

"What if they don't like me?" Molly whispered to Grace, then wrapped her arms around Grace's neck and hung on tightly. Grace rocked her a bit in her arms, looking to see that Annie was looking a bit worried herself, most likely about the same thing. She motioned to Annie and her daughter very nearly flew from the bathroom to Grace. Grace wrapped her free arm around Annie and hugged the girl to her side.

"Listen to me, both of you," Grace said, pulling back from both girls until they were looking at her. "They are going to love you because you are both wonderful girls. You're sweet and kind and smart. You'll make friends, I promise you." She hugged them both again before their attention was drawn to a commotion in the hall. Cecile ran into the room, Jack close on her heels. At the sight of her daughter on Grace's lap, Cecile's hand flew to her chest and she slumped backwards in relief, Jack catching her before she could slip to the floor.

"Mama," Molly called, jumping down from Grace's lap to run to her mother. Cecile gathered the little girl into her arms, cradling her and kissing her face, as Jack reached from behind and ran a hand down Molly's hair.

"Mon cher," Cecile murmured into Molly's hair, Cecile's mother's native French coming to her lips in her panic. "Your father and I were so worried. We were looking for you everywhere. What happened?" When Molly didn't respond, except to hug her mother tighter, Cecile looked to Grace, question on her face.

"Molly is a little worried about school and making new friends," Grace answered, pulling Annie into the spot on her lap that Molly had just vacated and holding her close.

"Why didn't you tell us, sprite?" Jack asked, using his pet name for his daughter. Molly looked over her mother's shoulder at her father and shrugged. "Why did you come up here?" he asked, looking confused. Molly sniffed loudly and hid her face again.

"I was going to hide, so I didn't have to go to school tomorrow, but I got tired when I got to Annie's room," she said. Grace bit back a chuckle, as she looked up. Oliver's eyes were twinkling and even Jack wore a large grin.

"Well, you can't run away like that on us again, okay?" Jack said, trying to scold her but not being very forceful. "Your mother and I were very worried about you young lady."

"Sorry Daddy," Molly said quietly.

Cecile kissed her on the cheek and wiped away her remaining tears. "Come along mon petite, let's get you into bed." She turned to Jack and passed Molly off to him, then turned back to Grace. "Thank you, ma'am, for finding her and taking care of her for us."

"Oh, it's no trouble Cecile. You know that she's welcome here any time," Grace said, smiling. "As long as she tells you first before she visits, right Molly?"

"Yes, ma'am," Molly responded. The little family turned to leave the room, nodding to Oliver and Grace as they did so.

"We'll see you in the morning," Grace said, as Oliver walked them to the door. Grace hugged Annie, then pulled back from the girl to look her in the eye. "Is there anything you're worried about?" Annie bit her lip, then looked back up at Grace.

"Well, I'm a little worried about making friends, but mostly," Annie trailed off, looking up at Grace.

"What is it dear?" Grace asked gently.

"What if I don't know the answers or how to do my work?" Annie asked, frown on her face.

"I don't think you need to worry about that," Grace replied. "Your tutor said you were doing very well. But it's okay if you don't know all the answers. That's what school is for, to learn." She smiled at Annie and Annie seemed to believe her, for she smiled back and Grace hugged her again.

"All right, you'd better get into bed. You've got a long day tomorrow," Grace said tucking Annie under the covers as Oliver came back into the room. Grace leaned down and kissed Annie's forehead. "Good night sweetheart."

"Night Mom," Annie responded. Oliver leaned down and kissed Annie as well, then patted her arm.

"Good night Annie," he said, smiling at her.

"G'night Daddy," she said with a large yawn. Oliver smiled and took Grace's hand and by the time the two of them had left the room, Annie had already fallen asleep. Grace sighed softly and Oliver looked at her, questioningly.

"It's just going to be so quiet around here with the two of them gone all day," Grace said, laying her head against Oliver's shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her, kissing the top of her head as they walked across the hall to their suite.

"They'll be fine," Oliver said.

"I know," Grace said, sniffing a little. "I'm just going to miss her."

"I know," he said as they reached the door. He stopped and turned to her, giving her a crooked smile. "Maybe it won't be quiet for long." Grace looked at him, puzzlement on her face until Oliver kissed her. When they broke apart she smiled at him.

"Perhaps not," she said and then took his hand and led him into the bedroom, closing the door behind them.

* * *

><p>As it turned out, the two girls had been worried for nothing. Both made new friends quickly and were doing very well in their classes. They were driven to and from school by the Asp and always met at the front door by their mothers and Sandy, of course. Sandy had taken to spending his days in the office with Oliver and Grace, lying on the sofa or under Oliver's desk at his feet. After the first week, Grace never needed to check the time in the afternoon, for Sandy would jump up and leave the office every day, ten minutes before the girls were to be home. He would sit quietly by the front door, barking once when he heard the car pull up and then very nearly bowling his mistress over when she came in the door. The first few times it happened, Grace was astonished that the dog seemed to know exactly when the girls would be arriving, but he was never late and he never missed a day.<p>

As September wore on, Grace began to make plans for Annie's birthday party. She and Elizabeth had kept in touch frequently and had decided to have the party the weekend before Annie's actual birthday. Elizabeth and her family were coming and spending the weekend. Annie's friends from the orphanage and her new friends from school would come the day of the party, as well as Molly, of course. Grace planned to have the party outside on the lawn, hoping that the weather would hold for the day. She had planned a tea party, although she was a bit worried about Paul and Joe. She didn't think 10 and 12 year old boys would be too interested in a tea party, but figured that Oliver and Frank could keep them busy until it was time for cake and presents.

* * *

><p>The Saturday before the party, Oliver awoke a little before 8:00. He yawned, thinking that Annie would be up soon and jumping on their bed as usual, when he remembered that Annie was sleeping over at Molly's house. Which meant he had his wife all to himself for at least another hour, Oliver thought, grinning. Grace was lying on her side, with her back to him. He moved closer to her, sweeping her hair back and kissing her neck. She didn't move, so Oliver began to kiss his way down her neck and when he reached the curve of her neck and shoulder, he heard her breathing change and knew she was awake. He smiled, not saying anything, just continued his way to her shoulder, as she made a small noise of contentment. She pressed herself back against him and he tried to bite back a groan, but she must have heard him because he felt her laugh silently. She reached an arm behind her and wrapped it around the back of his neck, then turned herself towards him with a grin on her face, her eyes still closed. Oliver smiled at her and leaned down to kiss her. Just before his lips met hers, Grace's eyes flew open and she brought a hand up to cover her mouth, pushing away from him as she did so.<p>

"Grace?" Oliver asked, completely baffled by the sudden change in her behavior. Grace just shook her head, jumping out of bed with her hand still covering her mouth and ran into the bathroom. Oliver sat up, concerned now as he heard sounds of retching coming from the bathroom. He stood and crossed to the door, waiting until it was quiet inside, then lightly knocked.

"Sweetheart?" he asked, but heard only a groan from Grace in response. "Grace, I'm coming in."

"No, no don't, Oliver, I'm sick," Grace said feebly.

"Nonsense," Oliver insisted, opening the door to find his wife sitting on the floor, her head resting against the side of the bathtub. She was white as a ghost and her hand shook slightly as she tried to motion him back out of the bathroom. Oliver, even more worried now, squatted down beside her, taking her hand in his and brushing her hair out of her face.

"Grace, what is it?" he asked.

"I don't know, the flu maybe," she said quietly, her eyes closed as she continued to lean against the tub. "You should go, I don't want you to catch it."

"I'm not leaving you sitting here on the bathroom floor," Oliver said, "Come on, I'll help you back to bed." He put an arm around her and tried to get her to her feet, but Grace just moaned and tried to push him off, staying slumped against the bathtub.

"No, no, just let me stay here," she insisted. "Don't want to," but before she could finish, she lurched back towards the toilet, getting sick once more. When she sat back, tears were running down her face.

"Oliver, go," she whispered. "I don't want you to see me like this." Oliver gathered her into his arms and shushed her. He managed to get an arm under her legs and picked her up, carrying her back into the bedroom and putting her into bed. He pulled the covers up around her and smoothed her hair back from her face.

"Just sleep now, sweetheart, you need to rest," Oliver said quietly. Grace nodded and closed her eyes, dropping off to sleep almost at once. Oliver sat next to her for a few moments, holding her hand and tucking her hair behind her ear. As he rose to ready himself for the day, his brow furrowed as he wondered how the flu could come on so quickly like that, not even realizing that he hadn't felt any hint of a fever as he brushed a hand over his wife's face.

* * *

><p>Grace awoke a few hours later, wondering why it was so bright in the room. She lay in bed for a moment until the memories of the earlier morning came flooding back to her. She closed her eyes again and assessed herself before moving. Her stomach seemed to be fine and she didn't feel particularly sick. She turned gingerly onto her back and still her stomach seemed to stay where it was supposed to be. After a few more minutes she decided that besides being a bit tired, she felt fine. Frowning, she wondered what had happened that morning, she had been so quickly and violently ill.<p>

"Perhaps it was something I ate," she said quietly, brow still furrowed in concentration. Shrugging her shoulders, Grace got out of bed and pulled on her robe and slippers. She had just turned toward the door when it opened and Oliver walked in. He started at the sight of her, then hurried quickly to her side.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Oliver asked, grasping her arms as if she were going to faint at any moment.

"I woke up and I felt fine," Grace said. "There's no reason not to get up."

"Oh no you don't," Oliver said, steering her back to the bed. "You need your rest."

"Oliver, I'm fine," Grace insisted, refusing to move as he tried to get her into bed.

"I don't care if you feel fine now," Oliver said forcefully. "You were very sick earlier and you're staying in bed." At this, he pointed at the bed. Grace looked at him defiantly, crossing her arms in front of her. Oliver glared back at her and crossed his own arms, refusing to budge. Finally Grace sighed, throwing up her hands.

"Fine," she said, exasperated. "I'll get back in bed, but there's **nothing** wrong with me." She crawled back into bed, taking off her slippers, but not removing the robe. She propped the pillows up and sat back against them, as if daring Oliver to try and make her lie down. He bit the inside of his lip to hold back a grin and she scowled more deeply at him.

"If everything is fine, why did you get so sick earlier?" Oliver asked.

"I don't know, maybe it was something I ate," Grace replied, still scowling.

"Grace, we ate the same thing for dinner last night," Oliver said. "If it were that, why aren't I sick?"

"I don't know Oliver," Grace said, annoyed now. "Maybe my stomach is more sensitive than yours."

"Maybe," Oliver said, looking skeptical. "Still, I want you to stay in bed, just in case." Grace sighed in exasperation.

"Where's Annie?" Grace asked.

"She's downstairs with Mrs. Pugh, helping her make chicken soup for you," Oliver said chuckling and Grace couldn't help but smile.

"Well, that's good, I am hungry," Grace said. Oliver sat down next to her on the bed.

"Are you sure, you're all right?" he asked softly, cupping her cheek in his hand. Grace's annoyance melted away at the fearful look in Oliver's eyes. Grace covered Oliver's hand with her own and smiled at him.

"I promise, I'm perfectly fine," Grace said. "Just a bit tired." Oliver kissed her forehead.

"Good, I'll just go and see if your soup is ready, all right?" he said. Grace smiled and nodded, relaxing back into the pillows.

By dinner time, Grace was going crazy being cooped up in her room. After the soup Oliver had brought her for lunch, she had taken a short nap and then read a book for a while. She'd had no ill effects from eating the soup and now she was determined to eat dinner with her husband and daughter. She got up and dressed, hoping that Oliver wouldn't come up to check on her until she was finished. She made it out of the room and down the hall before she was stopped. Oliver was coming up the stairs as she reached them and looked at her surprised for a second, then narrowed his eyes.

"Why are you out of bed?" Oliver asked, his voice low.

"Oliver, I'm not a child. I am perfectly fine and I _will_ be going down to the dining room for dinner," Grace said menacingly, hands on her hips. The two stood and stared at each other for a moment, then Oliver sighed, scrubbing a hand down his face.

"Grace, I just want to make sure you're completely recovered," Oliver said, a pleading look in his eye. Grace's face softened as she looked at him and she stepped forward, putting her arms around him.

"I know you do darling, but I promise you I'm fine," she said quietly, resting her head on his chest as he returned the embrace. He pulled back and looked at her again.

"You're sure?" he asked, scrutinizing her face. She nodded and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "All right, I know one little girl that will be very happy to see you." Grace smiled as Oliver put her arm through his and they walked down to the dining room together.

* * *

><p>The next morning when Grace awoke, Oliver was already out of bed. She could hear him moving around in the bathroom and she snuggled back down into the covers, thinking to doze for a few more minutes. But, as she turned over, her stomach gave an almighty lurch and she found herself running for the bathroom again. Not stopping to acknowledge Oliver's look of shock as she burst into the room, Grace was sick once more. Once Oliver had gotten her back into bed, he sat down next to her on the bed.<p>

"I knew you shouldn't have come down last night, you should have stayed in bed," he said.

"Please don't say I told you so," Grace groaned. Oliver stroked her hair as Grace closed her eyes.

"I think it's time to call the doctor," Oliver said, but Grace shook her head.

"No, Oliver, it's just a bug, I don't need the doctor," Grace insisted.

"Grace," Oliver began, but she shook her head again. "All right, but if you're not better tomorrow, I'm calling him." Oliver looked at her, his expression letting her know there was no room for argument.

"All right," Grace agreed.

"Sleep now," Oliver said and he tucked the blankets more tightly around her. "And you _will_ stay in bed all day this time."

"Hmm, fine," Grace said, yawning. Oliver stroked her hair for another few seconds until she drifted off to sleep.

Grace slept until almost lunchtime again, but this time when she awoke she still felt nauseous. I guess Oliver was right, she thought to herself. But she was surprised to find that she was still hungry, although nothing sounded very appetizing to her at the moment. Grace was about to close her eyes again, when the door opened and Oliver stepped in.

"You're awake," he said, smiling, coming to sit next to her on the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than this morning, but still not very well," Grace admitted.

"Do you think you could eat something?" Oliver asked.

"Maybe," Grace said. "I don't know what though."

"I'll have Mrs. Pugh make something for you," Oliver replied. He looked at Grace for a moment, taking her hand and rubbing the back of it with his thumb. "I think I should call the doctor now."

"Oliver, I'll be fine," Grace said, trying to reassure him. He picked up her hand and kissed the back of it.

"I just don't want anything to happen to you," he said quietly, his eyes pained, his expression forlorn. Grace sat up gingerly, wincing as her stomach rolled. She put a hand on Oliver's cheek, forcing him to look at her.

"Nothing is going to happen to me, it's just a little flu or something," she said looking into his eyes. "Please don't worry so much."

"I can't help it," Oliver said, looking down. "Ever since," he stopped and swallowed and Grace ran a hand down his arm. He took a deep breath. "Ever since Davey, I just, I can't," he broke off again and Grace hugged him to her.

"It will be all right, darling, I promise," Grace said soothingly, rubbing his back. "I'll be fine, really." Oliver hugged her tightly, then pulled away and smiled at her.

"I'll go see to your lunch," he said and kissing her on the cheek, left the room.

By the evening Grace felt better, just as she had the day before. However, she did what Oliver asked and stayed in bed. She was sure that the reason she had gotten sick again this morning was because she had overdone it the night before. Grace was determined to be better by the morning, there was a report that she and Oliver needed to finish and she knew he would need her help with it.

Oliver had just brought Annie in to say good night to her, although Grace hadn't allowed her near the bed, not wanting Annie to catch whatever she had. Oliver was now putting Annie to bed and had told Grace he would be back to check on her as soon as he was finished. Although she had slept quite a bit during the day, Grace still found that she was very tired and was having a hard time keeping her eyes open to wait for Oliver. She sat up, thinking it would keep her awake, but after just a few minutes, her head drooped to the side and she was asleep.

* * *

><p>Oliver came back into the room ten minutes later and saw that Grace had fallen asleep sitting up waiting for him. He sighed and moved to her side of the bed, gently easing her down and pulling the covers up around her. He kissed her temple and stood and stared at her for a few minutes. He knew that she had been feeling better this evening, but she had slept so much these past two days, Oliver was very concerned. He made up his mind to call the doctor in the morning, regardless of how Grace felt about it. Deciding that he was tired as well, Oliver readied himself for bed and climbed in beside his wife, hoping that whatever she had would pass quickly.<p> 


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N - Here are the answers everyone has been waiting for! I hope to get another chapter up before Christmas, but I just realized it is only 10 days away and I have alot left to do. Yikes! Hope you all enjoy the chapter and as always, I love to hear what you think! **

The next morning when Grace woke up, she was frustrated to realize that she still did not feel well. Things were better than they had been the previous two mornings, she didn't have to run to the bathroom at least, but she was still tired and just felt generally off. She didn't want to worry Oliver any more than she already had and she had things to do. Not to mention the fact that Annie's party was only five days away. Grace got up and pulled on her robe. After going in to wake Annie for school, Grace met Oliver in the hall as she left her daughter's room.

"You're feeling better then, I take it?" Oliver asked, still looking concerned.

"Yes, much," Grace said, trying to smile and ignore the slight nausea she felt at the same time.

"You still look a bit pale," Oliver mused.

"Really?" Grace said, feigning ignorance. "Well, I'm sure I'll be back to normal soon enough." She walked past Oliver back into their bedroom in order to dress for the day. She sat down on the bed halfway through dressing, sighing loudly and closing her eyes for a few seconds. She then forced herself to finish getting ready and left the room to meet Annie in the dining room for breakfast, not noticing Oliver standing in the shadows near Annie's room.

Oliver observed Grace from the doorway of their room and saw her stop in the middle of dressing to rest on the bed. His brow furrowed apprehensively as he watched her, knowing that no matter what she said, she still was not better. Moving quickly from the room when she got up to leave, he stood back in the hall so she wouldn't realize he had been spying on her. As she made her way to the stairs, Oliver walked down the hall to the office, intent on phoning the doctor.

* * *

><p>After breakfast, Oliver lingered in the dining room while Grace saw Annie off to school. She came back in after the girls had left, sitting back down beside Oliver and sipping at the tea she had left on the table. He watched her intently, searching her face for any hint of pain or discomfort. After a minute, she made a small grimace, then smoothed her face back into the same calm expression she had been wearing right before. As she finished her tea, Grace looked up at Oliver expectantly.<p>

"Do you want to get started on that report?" she asked. "I know we need to finish it today."

"Not just yet," Oliver said, taking another drink of his coffee.

"Oh, was there something else we needed to do first?" Grace inquired.

"No, I'm just waiting for someone else to get here," Oliver replied calmly.

"Who?" Grace asked in confusion. Before Oliver could reply, they heard the sound of the doorbell and then footsteps approaching the dining room. Grace looked up as Drake ushered someone into the room.

"Dr. Weber, sir, ma'am," Drake said, then turned and left the room. Oliver stood and shook the doctor's hand.

"Thank you for coming so quickly," he said.

"My pleasure," Dr. Weber replied, smiling at both Oliver and Grace. Oliver glanced at Grace who looked murderous. She schooled her features before the doctor looked her way, but Oliver knew she was extremely angry with him.

"Mrs. Warbucks, I hear you have been feeling poorly," Dr. Weber said, turning to Grace.

"I'm actually feeling much better this morning," Grace replied sweetly. "I'm afraid you have wasted a trip."

"Oh, well, perhaps since I'm here, you would let me examine you anyway, just to make sure," the doctor smiled at Grace and Oliver saw her gaze flick to him before she returned the doctor's smile.

"I suppose I've not much of a choice, now do I?" she responded, rising from the table and joining the doctor and Oliver in the doorway. She looked at Oliver again, anger flashing in her eyes as she strode from the room, Oliver and Dr. Weber following behind.

They made their way to Oliver and Grace's suite and Grace gestured the doctor inside.

"I'll be just a moment," Grace said. "I just need to speak to my husband."

"Of course, Mrs. Warbucks, I'll just get things ready in here," Dr. Weber replied, setting his bag down on the table in the sitting room. Grace pulled the door closed and rounded on Oliver.

"Why on earth did you call the doctor? I told you I was fine," Grace said, through clenched teeth.

"You may be better, but you're not fine, Grace," Oliver insisted. "I can see it just by looking at you."

"Oliver, this is ridiculous, there's nothing wrong with me," Grace replied, exasperated.

"Then it won't matter if you see the doctor will it?" Oliver shot back.

"This is a complete waste of time," Grace sighed loudly, crossing her arms in front of her. Oliver seemed to deflate a bit, looking up at her, anxiety in his eyes.

"Please, Grace, just do it for me?" Oliver asked quietly. Grace felt a stab of guilt and relaxed her posture. She stepped forward and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"All right, for you," she said, patting his cheek with her hand. He smiled at her and she walked into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

* * *

><p>Oliver paced in the hall. The doctor had been in their bedroom with Grace for a half an hour now and the longer it took the more distressed Oliver became. He tried to convince himself that the doctor was just being thorough, but surely it shouldn't be taking this long if there was nothing wrong. He stopped at the door and contemplated going in, but he didn't want to invade Grace's privacy, so he continued to pace.<p>

A few minutes later, the doctor exited the room as Oliver reached the door again. Oliver tried to read his face, but the doctor remained impassive.

"Is she all right?" Oliver asked, his voice breaking on the last word. He cleared his throat and looked at the doctor expectantly.

"Mrs. Warbucks wanted to give you the news herself," Dr. Weber said, his face a blank mask.

"Is it serious?" Oliver managed, sure now that there was something seriously wrong if the doctor wouldn't even confirm if she was okay or not.

"I'll let her tell you," Dr. Weber repeated, patting Oliver on the arm. "I'll show myself out." Oliver watched him walk toward the stairs before mustering up the courage to enter the bedroom. Grace stood with her back to him, looking out the window. She didn't turn, even when Oliver coughed lightly. Heart pounding, Oliver came up behind her, putting his hands in her shoulders.

"Grace," he whispered, then cleared his throat again. "Tell me," he said a little louder. She didn't answer at first, just continued to look out the window. Oliver's trepidation grew and he had to force himself not to squeeze her shoulders. "Please Grace," he pleaded. She turned to him then and he only registered the tears in her eyes before he pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly.

"Whatever it is, we'll fix it," Oliver said in her ear, one hand stroking her hair, the other at the small of her back, pulling her tightly to him. Her arms wound around his neck and she rested her head on his shoulder. He could feel her tears on his neck and he drew in a shuddering breath. She shook her head on his shoulder, which he took for fear.

"I'll find the best doctors, we'll go wherever we need to, Europe if we have to. We'll fix this, I promise." He kept her pressed tightly to him, kissing her temple and her cheek as she continued to shake her head, murmuring into his neck. Finally, he realized she was pushing against him and he released his hold.

"Oliver," she began, but he interrupted, taking her face in his hands, wiping the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs.

"Grace, I promise you, I'll fix it," Oliver said with vehemence.

"Oliver," Grace said again, but he clutched her to him once more, fear piercing his gut, wanting , but not wanting, to know what was wrong. He couldn't lose her, he wouldn't. Grace began to struggle against him and he loosened his grip, but didn't let her go.

"Oliver," Grace said loudly, pulling him from his thoughts. He pulled back from her a bit and looked at her face again. The tears were still there, but she was smiling. Smiling? Oliver continued to stare at her, confused now.

"Oliver, I'm fine," Grace insisted. "I'm not sick. Well, not in the way you think, anyway." She smiled wider and Oliver stared at her, completely baffled. Grace laughed at his expression, then stepped forward again and wrapped her arms around his neck again.

"Oliver, we're going to have a baby," she said, smiling at him. He stared at her, thunderstruck, not taking in what she had just said to him. She waited, watching as his mouth opened and closed, no words escaping. He looked at her again, seeming to try and process everything that had happened and she couldn't help but giggle.

"A baby?" he asked and she nodded. "A baby," he breathed and Grace waited as the news finally sunk in. "A baby!" he exclaimed, picking her up and twirling her around. Grace laughed loudly as he set her back on her feet.

"And everything's all right?" Oliver asked.

"Perfectly," Grace said, still smiling. "That's why I've been so tired and been sick, morning sickness."

"When?" he asked.

"Mid-May Dr. Weber thinks, I'm around eight weeks along," she replied.

"Eight weeks already? And you had no idea?" Oliver asked, remembering her reaction in the bathroom a few months ago when she found that she wasn't pregnant.

"Things have been so busy around here, what with Molly's arrival, the girls starting school and us getting back into working, planning Annie's party. I just haven't been paying attention as I should, I guess," Grace said looking sheepish. "I'm sorry I worried you."

"It doesn't matter," Oliver insisted, pulling her close to him again. "It doesn't matter, you're fine and we're going to have a baby. Nothing else matters." He looked at her, then brought his mouth to hers, kissing her slowly and softly until she was breathless.

"You should sit down," Oliver said, when they had pulled apart. He led her to the sofa, pulling her down beside him. "You should rest, no work today, no work for the rest of the week. Maybe we should cancel Annie's party."

"Oliver, I'm pregnant, I'm not an invalid," Grace said, rolling her eyes at him. "We most certainly are not going to cancel Annie's party. She'd be crushed."

"You're right, you're right, but you should just rest today," Oliver maintained. "Maybe you should lie down right now." He stood and tried to pull Grace up with him, but she refused to budge.

"Oliver, stop," Grace said, starting to get annoyed. She pulled him back down beside her. "Listen to me. The doctor said I could continue doing all my normal activities. I'm not going to sit in bed for the next seven months, just waiting for this baby to be born. If I'm tired, I'll rest and if I'm sick, I'll stay in bed, but you need to calm down and quit treating me like I'm going to break any moment. I. AM. FINE." She glared at Oliver for a moment, then softened when he looked at her guiltily. She put a hand to his cheek and touched his forehead with hers and then kissed him softly.

"I'm sorry," Oliver said, grasping her hand in his. "I know I'm overreacting. I just love you so much, Grace, I don't want anything to happen to you."

"And I love you for that," Grace replied. "But I promise, I won't overdo it and I'll rest if I need to. All right?"

"All right," Oliver agreed, hugging her to him. "I can't believe it, a baby."

"I know," Grace said, smiling as tears came to her eyes once again. They sat there in each other's embrace, thinking about how wonderful life was, for quite some time. Finally Grace sat up, excitement in her eyes.

"When should we tell Annie?" she asked, smiling widely. "I mean, I want to tell her first, but I know we'll want to tell Elizabeth when she gets here and I can never hide anything from Helen. I swear that woman is some kind of mind-reader or something. So maybe we should tell Annie today, after school?" Oliver chuckled at Grace's excitement, although he was feeling much the same way about the whole thing.

"Yes, I suppose we should," he said, smiling at his wife.

"Do you think she'll be excited?" Grace asked.

"I'm sure of it," Oliver replied, kissing Grace's cheek. Grace nodded.

"Well, I suppose we should get started on that report then," Grace said. "It is getting late, Annie will be home before we know it." Oliver hesitated. "What?" Grace asked.

"Are you sure?" he inquired quietly, not quite meeting her gaze. Grace sighed, but kept her temper.

"Yes, I'm sure," she responded. "I'm actually feeling much better now and if I get tired, I can rest on the sofa in the office." Oliver looked at her for a few moments, as if searching for something, then nodded and stood, offering her a hand. She smiled and took it and the two of them walked to the office together, Grace resting her head on his shoulder and squeezing his hand.

* * *

><p>When Annie arrived home from school, Grace felt unusually nervous. She thought Annie would be excited about a new brother or sister, but now that Annie had Molly, Grace wasn't positive about it. Grace had met Annie at the door and asked her to come to the office instead of into the kitchen for her usual afternoon snack. Annie frowned in confusion, but followed her mother just the same.<p>

When they entered the office, Oliver put away the file he had been working on and joined Grace on the sofa. Annie was now looking from one to the other curiously, as she sat on the edge of the coffee table in front of the sofa.

"Annie, there's something we wanted to talk to you about," Grace began, then stopped and looked at Oliver. He squeezed her hand in encouragement, but she seemed to have lost the ability to speak. Oliver cleared his throat and looked at Annie.

"You know your mother hasn't been feeling well the past few days," Oliver said and Annie nodded. "Well this morning we had the doctor come and take a look at her." Annie's eyes widened and then she looked at Grace who had tears in the corners of her eyes. Annie looked back to Oliver, fear on her face and Oliver realized that she had gotten the wrong idea. Grace seemed to see the same thing, as she grasped Oliver's hand more tightly.

"No, sweetheart, your mother is fine, I promise you," Oliver said quickly, reaching a hand out to Annie and pulling her to him. Annie took a deep breath and pulled away, looking confused once more.

"What's going on then?" she asked, brow furrowed and a frown on her face.

"Well, the doctor told us that your mother," Oliver paused and looked at Grace, who was smiling widely now, tears running freely down her cheeks.

"I'm going to have a baby," Grace exclaimed, looking back at Annie. Annie stood still for a moment, her mouth forming a round "o" of shock and then she grinned.

"A baby! I'm going to have a brother or a sister?" she cried, clapping her hands together and bouncing up and down. Grace laughed and pulled the girl into a hug.

"Yes, dear, a brother or a sister," Grace said. "I take it you're excited about this then?"

"Am I!" Annie exclaimed, then hugged Grace again, Oliver putting an arm around them both.

"Which do you think you'd like then?" Grace asked, pulling Annie onto her lap. Annie looked up thoughtfully.

"Well, I've already got Molly and she's kind of like a little sister," Annie said. "So maybe a brother would be good." Oliver and Grace chuckled. "What about you Daddy?"

"Well, I've got one princess already," he said, tickling Annie under the chin. "So I suppose a boy would be nice. But it doesn't really matter to me either way. Grace?"

"Oh, I don't care, as long as the baby is healthy," Grace said, eyes shining. The little family sat for a few minutes more, and then Annie jumped up.

"Can I tell Molly?" she asked, grinning widely.

"Well, let's wait on that for a little bit all right?" Grace said, knowing that she wanted to at least tell Helen first and she was sure Oliver would want to inform his bodyguards, as well. "Do you think you can keep it a secret until tomorrow?" Annie frowned as if unsure if she could keep information of this magnitude to herself for so long. "Remember how you kept my ring a secret?" Grace reminded her and Annie nodded smiling.

"Okay, Mom, I'll wait until tomorrow," Annie assured her.

"Good girl," Grace said and kissed her on the cheek. "Now, let's go to the kitchen and get you something to eat. I want to talk to Mrs. Pugh anyway." Annie nodded and the two left the office, Oliver smiling at them as they went.

* * *

><p>Grace and Annie entered the kitchen as Mrs. Pugh was pulling a pan of cookies from the oven.<p>

"Annie, there you are," Mrs. Pugh said smiling. "I was wondering what happened, you usually come right here after school." She set the pan down on top of the stove and took a few cooled cookies from the plate on the counter. She poured a glass of milk and set it down on the table next to the cookies.

"Mom and Daddy wanted to talk to me," Annie said, as she picked up a cookie and took a bite. Mrs. Pugh looked to Grace, but before Grace could say a word, a huge smile lit up Helen's face.

"You're pregnant, aren't you?" she asked. Grace stared at her shocked, then just shook her head chuckling.

"How on earth did you know that?" Grace questioned, still chuckling.

"Well, I suspected after the way your sickness has been going, but I can tell just by looking at you," Helen said. "You've got that certain sparkle in your eye women get once they know for sure." She patted Grace on the arm and Grace smiled at her. Then Helen pulled her into a hug.

"I'm very happy for you, Grace," Helen said, a bit hoarsely, sniffing a little.

"Thank you," Grace replied, hugging the other woman tightly, a few tears slipping down her cheeks.

"How come talking about having a baby makes everyone cry?" Annie asked, her mouth full of cookie. Grace and Helen laughed, as Grace came and sat down next to Annie at the table.

"First of all, don't talk with food in your mouth, young lady," Grace admonished gently. "And second, these are happy tears, not sad ones. A baby is a precious gift, we're just very happy about it." Annie looked a bit puzzled, then shrugged and picked up another cookie. Grace laughed quietly, shaking her head and looking up at Helen who was doing the same. "You'll understand someday," Grace said, giving Annie a quick squeeze.

By the end of the day, the entire staff knew about the upcoming addition to the family. Grace and Oliver hadn't received as many smiles and handshakes since they had announced their engagement three months before. They let Annie tell Molly since everyone else already knew and the two little girls ran off to Annie's room, giggling and whispering about babies and brothers and sisters.

* * *

><p>The day before Elizabeth and her family were to arrive, Oliver received another telephone call from Walt Stevens.<p>

"Walt," Oliver said, "What can I do for you?"

"William Bennett just turned up back in Pittsburgh," Walt replied. "The friend of mine I had looking for him called me yesterday and let me know, so I had him follow Bennett."

"And," Oliver prompted.

"He bought a train ticket," Walt continued. "To, let me see here, just a minute." Oliver heard the sound of papers being shuffled in the background. "A train ticket to Boston." All the color drained from Oliver's face and his hand holding the receiver began to shake. "Sir, you still there?" Walt asked when Oliver hadn't responded to him for a few moments.

"Yes, yes, I'm still here," Oliver said, trying to control the tremor in his voice. "Walt, do you know when the ticket is to be used?"

"Yeah, on Friday, 9AM train to Boston," Walt said. Oliver relaxed a little, knowing that Elizabeth, Frank and the children would be on the 10 AM train to New York and so would be gone by the time William arrived.

"Are you up for a trip to Boston?" Oliver asked and Walt agreed. "Get there tonight, meet his train and follow him wherever he goes."

"You got it," Walt said. "I'll call you when I find something out." Oliver hung up the phone, and put his head in his hands wondering just what reason William Bennett had for visiting Boston.

* * *

><p>The next day, Oliver and the Asp went to the train station to pick up Elizabeth and her family, having to take two cars to accommodate them all. When they arrived back at the mansion, Annie had just gotten home from school and she and Grace were standing outside the front door to greet them. Annie was very excited to see Elizabeth again and to meet her new cousins. As the two cars drove up the drive, Grace could practically feel the excitement radiating off her daughter and decided she had better remind her of their conversation that morning.<p>

"Now, remember what we talked about," Grace reminded her gently. "I know you're excited, but don't forget your manners and don't blurt out the news about the baby. Your father wants to tell Elizabeth himself." Annie nodded, wide grin on her face, bouncing up and down on her toes. Grace shook her head and smiled.

The two cars pulled up and Oliver and Frank climbed out of one, followed by the boys. The Asp walked to the back door of the other and opened it, helping Elizabeth from the car and then the girls. Mary giggled when he took her hand as she stepped from the car, but Catherine took it all in stride, giving her sister a scathing look as if she had no idea of the proper way to do things. As they all approached the stairs, Annie seemed to suddenly lose her enthusiasm and stepped closer to Grace, taking her hand.

"It's all right," Grace whispered to her. "They won't bite." Annie glanced up at her sharply, but Grace simply smiled.

"Elizabeth, it's wonderful to see you again," Grace said, as she hugged the other woman. "Frank," Grace said, hugging Frank as well, who kissed her on the cheek. Grace turned back to Annie. "Annie, this is your Uncle Frank." Frank bent down to Annie.

"You're even prettier than your parents told us," he said, winking at her as Annie grinned.

"Hello, Annie," Elizabeth said, smiling.

"Aunt Elizabeth," Annie said, jumping into her aunt's arms. "I'm glad you came."

"So am I dear," Elizabeth said, hugging the little girl. "Come here, let me introduce you to my children." She took Annie's hand and led her over to Catherine. Once the introductions were finished, Grace ushered everyone into the house. When they stepped into the foyer, all of Elizabeth's children's eyes widened and they stood staring at everything around them. Elizabeth and Grace exchanged knowing looks.

"Wow," Mary said as she looked up at the marble staircase.

"Double wow," Paul agreed, trying to look everywhere at once. Joe simply gaped and although Catherine tried to pretend otherwise, Grace could tell she too was awestruck.

"All right all of you, close your mouths, you'll catch flies," Elizabeth chuckled, looking around at all her children.

"Annie, why don't we take your cousins upstairs and show them where they'll be staying?" Grace suggested and Annie nodded. She shyly took Catherine's hand and began to lead her to the stairs, the other children trailing along behind. Grace and Elizabeth followed, as Oliver took Frank into the study. Grace glanced back over her shoulder and she and Oliver exchanged a look. Grace shuddered a bit, but as Elizabeth looked at inquisitively, Grace simply smiled and took the other woman's arm, asking her about their trip.

* * *

><p>Oliver closed the door behind Frank and then went to the sideboard and poured two glasses of scotch.<p>

"Oliver, this place is, well, to quote my son, ' double wow'," Frank said as Oliver poured the drinks. Oliver chuckled as he turned around.

"Thank you," he said, handing Frank a glass. Frank looked at him questioningly.

"Bit early, isn't it?" Frank asked, indicating the glass in his hand.

"You'll want it, trust me," Oliver said gravely and Frank's questioning glance turned a bit fearful.

"What's going on Oliver?" Frank asked.

"Please, sit," Oliver said, indicating one of the large armchairs. Frank sat in one and Oliver in the other. "I've been keeping tabs on William Bennett." Frank looked at him sharply, his eyes narrowing.

"Because?" Frank said, clearly trying not to get upset.

"Because I wanted to know where the man was and what he was up to. He still owns a large portion of shares in my company, I have a vested interest in his whereabouts," Oliver said calmly.

"Yes, I'm sure that's your only reason," Frank retorted. Oliver simply sipped his drink.

"Yesterday, the detective I have looking for him called me. We'd lost his trail for a while, but Bennett reappeared in Pittsburgh two days ago. He was followed and he bought a train ticket." Oliver paused looking at Frank.

"Why do I have the distinct feeling I am not going to like what you say next?" Frank asked, fear tightening his chest.

"The ticket was for today, to Boston," Oliver said quietly. Frank sat staring at him for a moment, then put his glass to his lips, downing his drink in one gulp.

"Damn," Frank said. "Do you know what he's doing there? Is he looking for," Frank paused, swallowing visibly. "For her?" Oliver stood and took Frank's glass refilling it. When he gave it back to his brother-in-law, Frank again quickly swallowed it down.

"I don't know," Oliver admitted. "My detective is going to meet his train, follow him and try and find out what he's doing there. As of right now, we have no reason to believe he's looking for Elizabeth. He hasn't made contact with her in the last 15 years, I can't imagine why he would all of sudden start now. I'll get a phone call as soon as there is any information." Frank nodded, then scrubbed a hand over his face.

"God, how am I going to tell Elizabeth?" Frank said. "She'll be frantic."

"Perhaps you should wait until we have more information," Oliver suggested. "It's very possible it's just a coincidence and he's there for some other reason."

"She'll know I'm hiding something," Frank said. "I can never keep anything from her."

"Whatever you think is best," Oliver replied. "Grace knows, so we're here for the both of you, if you'd like us to be with you when you tell her."

"Thank you," Frank said. Oliver nodded and then stood.

"Come on, I'll show you around the rest of the house," he said, clapping Frank on the back.

* * *

><p>Upstairs, Grace was smiling at the reaction of the children to their accommodations for the weekend. The boys were in one room and the girls in another with a shared bathroom in between. Elizabeth and Frank had the suite across the hall. The girls were currently looking around their room in awe and Grace was quite sure the boys were jumping on the beds in their room, although she didn't alert Elizabeth to this fact. She was also quite sure that Annie was jumping right along with them. Elizabeth was currently in her suite, as Drake had just come up with the luggage.<p>

"Girls, why don't you get into your bathing suits and you can have a quick swim before dinner?" Grace suggested. Mary and Catherine looked excited for a moment, then their faces fell.

"Aunt Grace, we didn't bring our bathing suits," Catherine said and Grace smiled.

"I think if you check the top dresser drawer, you'll find a solution to that problem," she said. Mary ran to the dresser and pulled out two brand new bathing suits, squealing loudly.

"Oh, thank you Aunt Grace," she said excitedly.

"You're welcome dear," Grace said smiling. "I'll just go and tell your brothers and meet you back here in a few minutes, all right?" Both girls nodded and Grace went next door.

"Annie, go and get your bathing suit on now," Grace said as Annie jumped down off the bed and scurried out of the room. "Boys, there are suits for you in the dresser. I'll be back to get you in a few minutes." The boys whooped and jumped off the beds, racing for the dresser. Grace laughed and left the room, closing the door. This was how she hoped this house would be some day, full of children and laughter. Her hand went to her stomach and she smiled, then walked across the hall and knocked on the door of Elizabeth's suite.

* * *

><p>After the children had swum and were cleaned up, they all met in the dining room for dinner. The swim seemed to have broken the ice between Annie and her cousins, as the five of them insisted on sitting at one end of the table away from the adults, so they could have their own conversation. Oliver smiled at Grace, more happy than ever that she had decided to find his sister. As dessert was served, Oliver looked to make sure that the children were satisfactorily engaged in their own conversation, then looked at Frank questioningly. Frank nodded and Oliver proceeded to tell Elizabeth the same thing he had told Frank in the study earlier. Frank gripped her hand tightly as Elizabeth turned white as a sheet, Grace reaching across the table to take her other hand.<p>

"Elizabeth, try not to worry, we don't even know for certain what Bennett is doing there," Oliver said, wishing he could take some of his sister's burden on himself. Elizabeth nodded, but Oliver could tell she was terrified. "You're welcome to stay here as long as you need, if we find out he is searching for you," Oliver continued as Grace nodded in agreement.

"That's very kind of you Oliver, but our life is in Boston, Frank's work, the children's school and their friends," Elizabeth said quietly.

"Let's just wait and see what my detective has to say, all right?" Oliver said, as Frank wrapped an arm around Elizabeth. She nodded, leaning into her husband, still pale and shaking slightly.

"That's enough talk about William Bennett," Grace insisted. "Oliver wasn't there something else you wanted to tell Elizabeth and Frank?" She smiled widely at Oliver as he took her hand and squeezed.

"Yes, as a matter of fact there was," Oliver said turning back to his sister. "Grace and I are going to have a baby." Elizabeth stared at him for a moment, open-mouthed, then grinned broadly.

"Oh my goodness, really?" she exclaimed, drawing the attention of the children from the other end of the table. Annie, who figured out what was happening, motioned to her cousins and they all put their heads together once again.

"Yes, really," Oliver said, returning the grin. Elizabeth stood and embraced him.

"Oh Oliver, that's just wonderful," she said, tears forming in her eyes. She moved on to Grace at the same time that a loud whoop and two squeals came from the other end of the table. Oliver looked down to see Mary and Catherine hugging Annie, while Paul patted her on the back. Joe sat still eating his dessert and looking as if everyone around him had gone crazy. Oliver chuckled. Frank shook Oliver's hand and then hugged Grace as well.

"Oh, we have so much to talk about," Oliver heard Elizabeth say to Grace. The two sat down next to each other at the table and began discussing babies and pregnancy. Frank and Oliver looked at each other, shaking their heads and then Oliver motioned for Frank to follow him.

"How about joining me on the terrace for a brandy and a cigar?" Oliver asked. "That sounds like a conversation I don't really want to be a part of." He gestured back to Grace and Elizabeth who were deep in conversation.

"I know what you mean," Frank said, shuddering a bit. He clapped Oliver on the shoulder as the two made their way to Oliver's study for a nightcap.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N - Here you go, the next chapter. I hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday, no matter which one it is that you are celebrating. Thank you so much to all of those that have reviewed, they are the best Christmas presents ever! **

Grace sank down onto the sofa in her sitting room, exhausted but happy. Annie's party had gone well and the last of her friends had just gone home. Oliver would be home any minute from taking the girls back to the orphanage and Frank and Elizabeth were supervising the children in the pool, having insisted that Grace go and rest. As Grace had agreed, she noticed a look pass across Annie's face and the girl had seemed less enthusiastic to swim than she had been just moments before when Grace had suggested it. Grace frowned trying to decipher what the problem was.

"Care to let me in on the problem?" a voice asked. Grace glanced up and saw Oliver entering the room. He crossed to the sofa and leaned down to kiss Grace's cheek. "You looked like you were concentrating very hard on something just now."

"Oh, well, I'm not sure if there even is one," Grace said, smiling at her husband. "Annie just seemed a bit, subdued, just now."

"Perhaps she's tired," Oliver suggested. "It has been a long day."

"You're probably right," Grace said, leaning into him as he wrapped an arm around her.

"How are you feeling?" Oliver asked. "I noticed you sitting down quite a bit near the end of the party."

"I felt a little nauseous all day," she admitted. "I just got a bit worn out by the end of the party. I think Elizabeth could tell, she insisted I come and lie down before dinner."

"An excellent suggestion," Oliver said. "I'll have to thank my sister for that." Grace just rolled her eyes.

"At least after tomorrow, I won't have the both of you ganging up on me anymore," she said.

"You know it's just because we love you," Oliver replied, smiling.

"I know," Grace said with a yawn.

"Why don't you go lie down, sweetheart," Oliver told her. "I'll wake you before dinner."

"Actually, I'm kind of comfortable right here," she said as she snuggled closer to him, laying her head on his chest.

"Well, who am I to argue with the pregnant lady?" Oliver chuckled, swinging his legs up onto the sofa and pulling Grace tighter to his side. He kissed the top of her head and stroked her back until he felt her breathing even out and knew she was asleep. He smiled and leaned his head back on the arm of the sofa, intending to take a short nap himself.

* * *

><p>Later that night, as Grace tucked Annie into bed, she could tell that something was bothering her daughter. So far, her attempts to get Annie to talk about it had failed. Annie insisted there was nothing wrong. Grace sat down on the edge of the bed and smoothed Annie's hair back from her face.<p>

"Did you have fun today?" Grace asked.

"Oh yes, thank you for the party, Mom," Annie replied, smiling.

"It looked like all your friends were getting along well. Did you enjoy seeing your friends from the orphanage again?" Grace questioned. Annie glanced away from Grace for the briefest of seconds, but it was enough for Grace to understand that something about her orphanage friends was upsetting her.

"Sweetheart, I know there's something bothering you, won't you please tell me what it is?" Annie lay silently for a moment, then looked up at Grace, sadness on her face.

"I was telling my friends about the baby and I was really excited and then Pepper asked me why I was so happy about it," Annie paused, biting her lip.

"Did Pepper say anything else?" Grace asked. Annie nodded, but seemed unable to continue. "It's all right Annie, whatever she said, I won't be upset. Please tell me." Annie took a deep breath and looked up at Grace, tears in her eyes.

"She told me that I shouldn't be so happy because if you had a baby then I was probably going to get sent back to the orphanage," Annie sniffled, the tears starting to fall down her face. Grace looked at her confused.

"Why would she think something like that?" Grace asked.

"She said, once you had your own baby that you wouldn't," Annie paused, her breath hitching. "That you wouldn't want me anymore." With that, she started sobbing in earnest and Grace pulled the girl onto her lap, wrapping her arms around her and holding her close. Her heart broke that Annie had carried this around the entire day and Grace now realized why Annie had seemed upset that Grace didn't stay and watch her swim.

"Oh, my sweet, sweet girl," Grace said, rocking Annie in her arms and rubbing her back. "We will always want you, no matter how many babies we have. You are our daughter, don't ever forget that." Annie's sobs started to quiet and soon all that remained were the small hitchings of breath every few moments. Grace continued to rock her, her cheek resting on the top of Annie's head, cherishing the closeness between them. She finally pulled back, brushing away the remaining tears on Annie's face with her thumbs. While quiet, Annie still looked wary, as if she expected Grace to change her mind at any moment.

"Listen to me sweetheart," Grace said, taking the girl's face gently in her hands. "Your parents gave your father and me the most precious gift anyone could ever give. You. There isn't anything or anyone that could make us want to give that gift away, ever. We will love you just as much as any other child that comes into our family, no matter how they get here. Do you understand?" Annie nodded her head and threw her arms around Grace's neck. Grace hugged her tightly.

"She's right you know," a voice said from the doorway. Grace and Annie glanced up to see Oliver standing there, smiling at the two of them. He walked to the bed and sat down on the other side of Annie.

"Your mother is right, no one could ever take your place in our hearts," Oliver said, a bit gruffly and Grace noticed how bright his eyes were. She reached a hand out to him and he grasped it, squeezing tightly. Annie turned from Grace and wrapped her arms around Oliver's neck instead. He hugged her to him as Grace scooted closer to the two of them, putting an arm around Oliver and one around Annie. The three of them sat there for a few minutes, until Annie finally pulled away from them both.

"Is everything all right now?" Grace asked and Annie nodded smiling at both of them. "Good, then I want you to promise me something."

"What?" Annie asked.

"If anyone ever says anything to you that upsets you or that you don't understand, that you'll come to me or your father right away and talk with us about it," Grace said.

"Okay," Annie agreed.

"Good," Oliver said, smiling at her. "Now, I think it's time we got you into bed." He picked her up and laid her down in the bed, pulling the covers over her. He kissed her cheek and ruffled her hair, then stood. Grace leaned down and kissed her as well, then gave her cheek a small pat.

"Sleep well," Grace said, as she and Oliver left the room. They walked across the hall and into their suite. As Oliver closed the door behind them, Grace turned and slumped against him, her own tears finally making an appearance. Oliver picked her up and carried her to the sofa. He sat down with Grace in his lap and held her close to him as she cried, rubbing her back much as she had for Annie. When she had finally quieted, she looked up at Oliver, anguish on her face.

"Darling, what is it?" he asked, alarmed.

"Maybe I'm not cut out to be a mother," Grace said miserably.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Oliver asked, completely confused.

"What did I do wrong to make my little girl think I wouldn't want her anymore?" Grace said, tears beginning anew.

"Oh, Grace, of course you didn't do anything wrong," Oliver insisted. "This has nothing to do with your mothering skills." He hugged her to him again. "Children talk about things they don't understand and come to their own conclusions all the time. Please don't think that you are anything less than a wonderful mother." Grace didn't respond, just sat quietly on his lap, her finger tracing the outline of one of the buttons on his shirt. He knew she was thinking and trying to process everything, so he didn't interrupt. Finally she sat up and looked him in the eye.

"Do you really think I'm a wonderful mother?" she asked, tears gone, but her eyes still bright. Oliver took her face in his hands and kissed her lips softly.

"You are, by far, the most wonderful mother I know," he said, kissing her again. "And I have no doubt that you will be just as wonderful with this little one when they get here." He put a hand to her belly, which she covered with her own and then she kissed him deeply. When they broke apart, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and then stood, picking her up with him.

"Now, it's been a long day, let's go to bed," Oliver said as he turned to the bedroom, Grace wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him as he carried her to bed.

* * *

><p>The next morning, as the two families sat at breakfast, Drake came into the dining room to tell Oliver he had an urgent phone call. Oliver's eyes met Frank's over the table before he went into the study to take the call.<p>

"Mr. Warbucks, Walt Stevens," the voice on the other end of the line said. "I'm sorry to call so early, I hope I'm not interrupting your breakfast."

"Not a problem Walt," Oliver insisted. "Tell me what you know."

"Bennett is heading back to Pittsburgh today, he just bought the ticket," Walt said and Oliver heaved a sigh of relief.

"And what was he doing in Boston?" Oliver asked.

"Near as I can tell, he was looking for someone," Walt replied and Oliver's stomach clenched in fear.

"Do you know who?" Oliver managed to get out.

"Not exactly, but it seems to be an old business associate of his," Walt said. "The people I managed to talk to said it was someone he used to work with." Oliver had released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, but was still concerned. Technically, Frank and William had worked together when they were in the army, he couldn't be sure that it wasn't Frank he was looking for.

"Walt, did he go anywhere near Washington School or Juniper Avenue?" Oliver asked, naming Frank's place of employment and the street they lived on.

"Nope, no schools at all and the street doesn't sound familiar," Walt said. "Why do you ask?"

"Just a hunch, I know someone that lives in Boston that Bennett knows as well," Oliver replied. He trusted Walt, but didn't want to give out too much information. "Do you know if he made contact with this business associate?"

"Doesn't seem to have," Walt said. "He didn't actually meet with anyone while I was tailing him. Do you want me to head back to Pittsburgh then?"

"If you would," Oliver replied. "Call me in a few days and let me know if you've found anything. I've got an idea of what I want you to do, just need to flesh it out a bit more."

"Will do Mr. Warbucks," Walt said and Oliver hung up the phone. At almost the same instant, there was a knock on the study door.

"Come in Frank," Oliver called, knowing his brother-in-law had probably waited as long as he could. Frank opened the door and looked at Oliver expectantly. Oliver motioned him to a chair, but Frank shook his head, hand gripped tightly on the doorknob.

"Just tell me," Frank said, looking at the floor.

"It's not her," Oliver said quietly and watched as the other man shook slightly, his knees seeming to buckle. Oliver stood and quickly crossed the room, grabbing Frank's arm and towing him to a chair.

"He was looking for someone he used to work with," Oliver explained and Frank raised an eyebrow at him. "Not you, it appears. He went nowhere near your school or your home." Frank sighed in relief and nodded.

"So it was all just a coincidence then," Frank said, scrubbing a hand down his face.

"Appears to be," Oliver agreed, sitting down in the chair across from Frank's. "I still think you should keep an eye out though. No telling if he'll come back or not. Boston is a big city, but you never know when you might accidentally run into someone."

"Of course," Frank said, then leaned forward looking Oliver in the eye. "What are you planning?"

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked, trying to look innocent.

"Don't bullshit me Oliver, I know you've got something in mind," Frank said, his gaze unwavering. "I know Elizabeth is your sister and you blame yourself for what happened, but she's **my** wife and Catherine is **my** daughter. Don't you think I have the right to know?" Oliver stared at him for a moment, then sighed, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You're right, I do have something in mind," Oliver said. "I'm just not sure how I'm going to go about it yet."

"Tell me," Frank insisted. Oliver looked up at Frank again and saw the determination in the other man's eyes. Knowing that there was no way that he would be able to leave the room without giving Frank the information he wanted, Oliver proceeded to tell Frank his plan.

* * *

><p>Grace and Elizabeth still sat in the dining room, drinking tea. The children had all left the table and gone outside to play for a bit before the family would have to be packing up to leave. The two women sat in silence, waiting for the men to return.<p>

"They've been gone for an awfully long time," Elizabeth said quietly. Grace reached over and put her hand atop Elizabeth's.

"That doesn't mean you should expect the worst," Grace said. Elizabeth nodded, but didn't look convinced.

"What if this is all I get?" Elizabeth asked, not looking up at Grace. Grace's brow furrowed, not understanding what the other woman was talking about. "These last thirteen years of happiness, what if this is all I get? My childhood was," she paused and waved a hand as if there wasn't anything else to say on the subject. "And then when I was still pregnant and when Catherine was small, I used to worry that he'd find us, that he'd take her away from me. It kept me up at night sometimes, the nightmares. It wasn't until we settled in Boston and Mary came along that I stopped worrying so much. But now, what if is me he's looking for? What if he finds us and he takes Catherine?" Silent tears had begun to fall from Elizabeth's eyes.

"You know that Frank and Oliver won't let that happen," Grace insisted, squeezing Elizabeth's hand.

"How can I tell my daughter that her father is a monster?" Elizabeth whispered, so softly Grace barely heard her. Grace rose and sat next to Elizabeth, pulling the older woman into her arms.

"You listen to me," Grace whispered fiercely. "William Bennett is **not** Catherine's father, Frank Moretti **is**. William will never take her away from you, we will not allow that to happen. You can move in here if you have to. He will not find her, do you understand?" Elizabeth nodded into Grace's shoulder just as Oliver and Frank came back into the room. Grace looked up at Oliver and he shook his head slightly. Grace sighed in relief, causing Elizabeth to pull away from her and look up at Frank.

"He's not looking for us," Frank said quietly, pulling his wife into his arms as she continued to weep into his chest. Oliver put a hand on Grace's shoulder and she covered it with her own and looked up at him. He smiled and squeezed her shoulder then embraced Elizabeth after Frank had let her go.

"My detective is following him back to Pittsburgh," Oliver told her. "If he goes anywhere near Boston again, I'll be sure to let you know, all right?" Elizabeth nodded gratefully at Oliver and he kissed her on the cheek, releasing her back to Frank, who wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Come on sweetheart, let's go up and pack," Frank said, steering Elizabeth toward the door. Oliver pulled Grace to her feet and pulled her into his arms.

"Are you all right?" she asked, hugging him tightly.

"Relieved," he replied, ghosting his lips over her forehead. She smiled up at him and he kissed her slowly. "Come on," he said once he had released her. "Let's go and make sure the children aren't getting into any trouble." Grace laughed as the two of them made their way to the terrace to supervise the children while Frank and Elizabeth finished their packing.

* * *

><p>Oliver paced his office after his meeting with Walt Stevens was over. Walt had continued to follow Bennett and had gotten some rather incriminating photos of the man engaged in less that savory behavior. In one evening Bennett had spent a few hours inside a brothel, bringing one of the women with him to a bar afterward, where he proceeded to play poker, cheat, get caught and end up in a bar brawl. The woman fled, but not before Walt was able to catch and question her, albeit only after offering her a substantial amount of money. Apparently, Bennett was a frequent visitor to her place of employment, although none of the girls liked him, as he tended to be rather rough. The girl thought that perhaps Bennett had something on the madam of the establishment, she felt that it was only out of fear that her boss let him continue to patron the place.<p>

The police were called during the brawl, but Bennett somehow managed to escape before they arrived. Walt had lost him, as he had been talking to the girl at the time, and Bennett seemed to have disappeared once again. Walt had searched for a few days, but after finding nothing had returned to New York.

While the pictures were exactly what Oliver was hoping Walt would get, he was still unsure what to do. He had two possible plans, but deciding on which course of action he would take was proving difficult. One had a much more likely chance of success, but as Frank had told Oliver, he wasn't sure public humiliation was the route to go, given Bennett's penchant for violence. The other was Frank's idea and while not as assured of success, could be handled quietly and privately. Although, when Oliver thought about it, the second option also had the distinction of conceivably blowing up spectacularly in his face. It all depended on who Bennett was still close to and what they would be willing to share with him.

As Oliver made yet another pass across the room, he decided that he needed more information before he made a decision. In any case, he would have to wait for Bennett to surface again before he could put either plan into action. Sitting down at his desk, Oliver swept the photographs back into their folder and locked it in his bottom desk drawer. He then picked up the phone to call the new foreman of the factory in Pittsburgh. The man was loyal to Oliver and had helped immensely during the reorganization over the summer. It was time to find out just who Bennett was still in contact with.

* * *

><p>A few weeks later, Grace was packing for their trip to Boston for Thanksgiving. Grace's morning sickness had all but disappeared and she was feeling much less tired than she had just a week or two before. She smiled as she ran her hand along the very slight bump in her abdomen. While she knew that no one, outside of Oliver, had yet noticed, Grace was pleased that there was finally some outward sign of the baby she was carrying. Something besides retching in the bathroom at any rate, she thought wryly.<p>

She heard Oliver come into the room and was not surprised as he wrapped his arms around her from behind, bringing his hands around to cradle the small bump of baby. Ever since he had noticed, he had taken to rubbing her belly whenever he could. Grace smiled and turned her head slightly so he could kiss her, then leaned back against him, her forehead in the crook of his neck.

"Need any help?" Oliver asked after he finally released her.

"No, I'm just about finished. I've already packed Annie's things," Grace responded, smiling at her husband. He smiled back, but Grace could tell that there was something on his mind.

"What is it?" she asked, looking at him in concern. Oliver sighed loudly, then took her hand and led her to the sitting room. They sat down on the sofa and Oliver turned, taking her hands in his.

"There's something I need to tell you," he began, his face serious. Grace felt as if a stone had settled in her stomach.

"What's wrong? Is it Elizabeth or one of the children?" Grace asked, fear in her voice.

"No, no," Oliver assured her. "Everyone is fine, it's not that." Grace blew out a breath in relief.

"What then?" she asked, brow furrowed in confusion.

"It's about William Bennett," Oliver said quietly, not meeting Grace's eyes.

"I thought you were going to let that go," Grace said, just as quietly, but with a hint of steel in her voice that Oliver could not miss, as she disengtangled her hands from his. She had walked into the office almost two weeks ago to find Oliver poring over some photographs. Before he could cover them up, Grace saw who she assumed to be a very drunk William Bennett with a girl on his lap. He was holding cards in one hand and the other, well, Grace chose to try and ignore exactly where on the girl the other hand had been.

At first Oliver had refused to tell her anything, but she had finally gotten him to admit that he had been having Bennett followed off and on since July. The pictures had been taken in October, shortly after Annie's birthday, but Bennett had disappeared right after. He had finally resurfaced and Oliver was now trying to decide what to do with the information he'd been given. He admitted to Grace that he was trying to oust Bennett from the company for good, even though all Bennett had to do with it anymore was the shares of stock he owned.

Grace was furious, even after Oliver had assured her that buying back shares of stock was perfectly legal.

"That's not the point, Oliver," Grace had argued. "You need to let this go."

"Grace, I can't!" Oliver had shouted. Then he had put his face in his hands and his shoulders had slumped in defeat. "He hurt her Grace, in the worse possible way a man can hurt a woman. And he got away with it." Oliver had looked up at Grace then, determination in his face. "I can't let him do that to someone else. I won't."

"And how will kicking him out of the company make him pay for what he did?" Grace asked.

"It won't, not directly, but it's something. It will hurt him and maybe show him that I and my family are not to be tangled with. And right now, that's all I've got," Oliver replied. Grace had looked at him for a long moment, then turned and left the office.

She shook her head. It wasn't as if she didn't understand why Oliver was so angry. She would like nothing more than to see William Bennett suffer for a very, very long time for what he had done. But, if she were honest, she was frightened of what would happen if Oliver went ahead with this plan of revenge. William already hated Oliver and Grace knew that he had continually tried to sabotage things at the factory upon his return to America after the war. While the occurrences hadn't been frequent, they did always seem to happen when the factory had hit some low point. At times, it was only Oliver's determination that had kept the factory open. In fact, it had been some damage that Grace was almost positive would have led back to William had there been any kind of trail to follow, that had caused the reorganization over the summer. She knew that Oliver had hoped that getting the remaining workers that were loyal to William out would solve the problem. So far, he had been right.

"I never said that I would let it go, you just suggested it," Oliver said, bringing Grace back to the conversation at hand.

"Suggested isn't exactly the word I would use," Grace said, trying to remain calm, but feeling her jaw clench all the same.

"Fine, I know you are vehemently opposed to me pursuing this," Oliver replied, looking her in the eye. "But Grace, this is something I have to do. I know you don't agree, Elizabeth probably wouldn't either, but I can't stop and I won't." He continued to stare at her as if daring her to continue to disagree with him. Grace sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose to try and keep herself calm.

"What happened Oliver?" she asked, closing her eyes.

"I had Walt approach Bennett. Walt passed himself off as another stockholder, a name Bennett knew, but someone he had never met. He seemed to buy it and Walt brought up some 'gossip' that he had overheard about the factory," Oliver said, standing and beginning to pace up and down in front of the sofa. "He told him that he'd heard the factory was on the brink of closing, that things hadn't gone well with the reorganization and that the employees were angry about it. They were rebelling against the new foreman and so, in turn, against me. Walt made the suggestion that Bennett dump his shares while they were still worth something. Said he had it on good authority from an 'insider' that the company wouldn't last the month. And Walt happened to drop the name of his insider, the new foreman." Oliver stopped pacing and sat down in the chair across from Grace. He looked frustrated.

"I take it that this plan didn't work," Grace said.

"I thought that because Bennett didn't have anyone still loyal to him at the factory to check the story out with and that he believed Walt was who he said he was, that he would believe the story and go and sell his shares," Oliver said, sighing. "But, while he wasn't close to anyone that still worked there anymore, some of his old supporters still were and they assured him that the story was a set-up."

"Oliver, surely you couldn't have thought that he would really go and sell all his shares on the word of a complete stranger," Grace said, somewhat surprised by the plan. It really didn't sound like something Oliver would think would work.

"I wasn't really expecting it to work, no," Oliver said. "I was just hoping that Bennett was dumber than I thought. And Frank," Oliver trailed off, looking away from Grace as if he realized he had said too much.

"What does Frank have to do with this?" Grace asked suspiciously. Oliver sighed again and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes.

"When Frank and Elizabeth were here for Annie's birthday, after we found out that Bennett hadn't been looking for them in Boston, he insisted I tell him my plan," Oliver said. "When he found out what it was, he asked me to try something else instead, which is how we got to this."

"Why didn't he want you to use your first idea?" Grace asked, still wary.

"Because he was afraid of what Bennett's reaction might be if we went ahead with my proposal," Oliver replied, no emotion in his voice. Grace sat frozen on the sofa, wondering just what Oliver had in mind and realizing that now that Frank's idea had failed, Oliver would want to go ahead with his.

"Oliver, what are you planning?" she asked. Oliver sat up and looked Grace in the eye, his features hardened, his jaw clenched.

"I'm planning," Oliver said, his voice low and menacing. "To destroy William Bennett once and for all."


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N - Hello all! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I enjoyed mine very much and it is not over yet, as we still have one more Christmas to celebrate this weekend. I hope you all enjoy this next chapter and since I will not be posting again before, have a wonderful New Years! **

Grace sat dumbfounded on the sofa, simply staring at Oliver, her mouth hanging open. She had known he was angry, had known he wanted revenge, but the vehemence of his words and calculation in his eyes was what shocked and scared Grace. She had a feeling that if he went through with this plan, something very, very bad was going to happen. Oliver continued to glare at her, as if daring her to disagree with him. Grace finally came back to herself and took a deep breath, straightening her posture and looking at her husband with as much sincerity and sympathy as she could muster. She was going to have to find a way to convince him to change his mind.

"Oliver," she began, but was cut off by a harsh laugh from Oliver.

"Don't bother Grace," he said. "I know you're going to try and talk me out of it. It won't work."

"I'm not going to try and talk you out of it," Grace insisted, trying to look hurt that he would suggest such a thing.

"Fine, I'm sorry," Oliver replied, still not looking convinced. "Continue."

"Why don't you tell me exactly how you are intending to destroy him," Grace suggested. "Maybe I can help you." Oliver looked at her warily, unsure if she was really serious or just stalling for time until she could come up with something to get him to change his mind. He finally decided to tell her, it really didn't matter one way or the other, he was going ahead with his plan, regardless of what Grace did or didn't say.

"Fine, you remember the picture you saw a few weeks ago?" Grace nodded her head. "Well, that wasn't the only one, nor was it the most damning." Grace shuddered a bit, imagining just what else Walt Stevens had caught on film.

"I plan on contacting the Pittsburgh newspapers, running a front page story on Bennett and his activities, including the pictures of course," Oliver said. "His reputation will be ruined, the board will have no choice but to call for the buying back of his shares and oust him from the company. No one in Pittsburgh will hire him and I have it on good authority that the money he receives from the stock is just about his only source of income, legal income that is. His mother is all right, but doesn't have the extra money to keep Bennett living as he is used to. He'll be ruined financially and socially." He stopped and looked at Grace, waiting for her reaction. Grace swallowed and chose her next words very carefully. She knew that protesting about William's violent past or worry that Oliver could be in danger would bring nothing but argument from him. She needed to convince him to change his mind in some other way.

"It does sound like a fool-proof plan," she said. "The board could never ignore something like this." Oliver nodded and smiled a bit. "I do wonder though," Grace paused and looked at Oliver again, who was now frowning.

"Wonder what?" he asked.

"Oh, it's probably nothing you haven't already thought of," Grace waved a hand to dismiss her concerns and smiled at Oliver.

"Probably not," he said, but began to look perplexed all the same. "But, why don't you tell me anyway."

"Well, I was just thinking that this could possibly backfire on you," Grace said. Oliver's brow furrowed and he cocked an eyebrow at her.

"In what way?" he asked.

"I know that you've gotten everyone who still supported William out of the factory, but what about the board?" Grace said. "Surely there are some there who he still has in his pocket." Oliver nodded in agreement. "Well, I've just been thinking that what if they think you set William up? That you were the one who got the girl and set up the card game which ended in the brawl. You were having him followed after all and I know that you don't want to tell them the real reason for that." Oliver shook his head. "Why now? Why all of a sudden after all these years are you going to go after him and try and get him out? If you take his circumstances along with the recent reorganization, some might think that you are just trying to get a bigger piece of the pie. You know your reputation for ruthlessness precedes you." Grace stopped, more than pleased with herself, but continued to show nothing more than a look of mild concern on her face.

Oliver said nothing, just pursed his lips and stared off into the room, deep in thought. Grace held her breath, hoping that she had managed to at least plant a small seed of doubt. The silence in the room grew larger until Grace felt she might actually scream from the tension of it. Finally, Oliver turned back to her, his eyes once again focusing on her face.

"Perhaps you're right," he said quietly and Grace felt herself relax. "Perhaps such a public humiliation is not the way to go."

"I really don't think it is," Grace replied. "Maybe it is best to just let it go. William will do something illegal eventually." Oliver snorted in laughter at this.

"He's already done plenty of illegal things, Grace," he said.

"Something that he'll be caught for, I mean," Grace amended, blushing slightly.

"Maybe," Oliver said, looking off into the distance again. Grace's relief began to waver slightly. Oliver had that look on his face again and Grace knew she hadn't been completely successful in changing his mind. "Or maybe, I can go ahead with this information anyway, just in a more private way." Grace's heart sunk once again.

"What do you mean?" she forced herself to ask.

"Well, if the pictures would have convinced the board to oust him, perhaps a private conference with the man himself would do the same," Oliver replied. Grace looked at him in puzzlement. She still wasn't sure exactly what he had in mind. "I mean, I meet with Bennett, show him the pictures myself and tell him that if he doesn't sell his shares and leave the company quietly, the public will have front page news they will be talking about for a very, very long time." He smiled smugly at Grace as if he had just solved all their problems. Grace tried to think of something to say, something to convince Oliver that this wouldn't solve anything, it might very well just make things worse, but nothing, save the arguments they had already had, came to mind. As her hope withered, her anger grew, however.

"Oliver, that's blackmail," she insisted. "You promised nothing illegal."

"It's only illegal if Bennett goes to the police," Oliver said, waving off her concerns. "And if his recent actions are any indication, I don't think he'll be in any kind of hurry to accuse me." Grace shook her head, looking down at her clasped hands. She felt, rather than saw, Oliver move back to the sofa beside her.

"What's the matter?" he asked. "This will work, I'm sure of it."

"I'm sure it will work too," Grace admitted.

"What then?" Oliver asked, putting a finger under her chin and tipping her face up so he could look at her. She stared at him for a moment, feeling tears collecting at the corner of her eyes.

"I'm scared Oliver," she whispered, pressing her lips together to try and stop the tears.

"Of what?" he asked, clearly confused.

"I'm scared that he'll come after you," Grace replied, as one tear escaped from her eye and began its slow journey down her cheek. Oliver looked at her surprised, then pulled her into his arms.

"Nothing is going to happen to me," Oliver insisted. "That's what Punjab and the Asp are for." Grace clung to him, burying her face in his shoulder, the scent of his cologne washing over her,calming and safe. "Besides, once I convince him that one move against me would result in my airing all his dirty laundry to the press, he won't dare try anything."

"I hope you're right," Grace said quietly, feeling in her heart that Oliver was anything but.

* * *

><p>In the end, he agreed not to do anything until after Thanksgiving and the three of them boarded a train bound for Boston the next morning. They had given the staff the entire Thanksgiving weekend off and Grace knew they were all more than happy to be able to spend the holidays with their families. A small contingent had remained at the house, those that had no family or family too far to travel to, and Mrs. Pugh made sure to have a full Thanksgiving meal prepared with strict instructions on how to cook it. Grace chuckled thinking of all the hand wringing that had gone on before they left, Helen hoping that her kitchen would still be in one piece when she returned to it on Sunday. As it was, it was only because of the presence of Annette, whom Helen trusted, that she had consented to leave at all.<p>

Annie was so excited about the train ride, neither Grace nor Oliver got a moment's peace the entire trip, answering Annie's endless questions and constantly needing to go and "explore" the train. When they finally arrived and climbed into a taxi, Annie between the two of them, Grace leaned her head back against the seat, closing her eyes in exhaustion. She felt Oliver's hand on her shoulder and she turned to look at him, opening one eye in the process. He squeezed her shoulder and smiled, then pointed out something outside the cab to Annie, successfully focusing her attention off her mother. Grace smiled gratefully, then closed her eye once more, intent on resting at least, until they reached Elizabeth's.

She must have dozed, for the next thing she knew, Oliver was gently shaking her shoulder.

"We're nearly there," he said, tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear.

"All right," she replied, yawning widely before quickly bringing a hand up to cover her mouth.

"Perhaps a nap would be in order once we arrive," he said, quirking an eyebrow at her questioningly.

"Don't be silly," Grace insisted. "I'll be fine."

"I thought the being tired part was supposed to be over by now," Oliver said, concern on his face.

"And it is," Grace said, putting a hand to his cheek. "Unless of course, I don't sleep well the night before and then follow that up with the boundless energy of this one here." Grace moved her hand and ruffled Annie's hair instead. Annie grinned up at her.

"Why didn't you sleep well?" Oliver asked.

"I think you know why," Grace simply said. She then looked pointedly at Annie and shook her head slightly. Oliver nodded once, getting the message that this was a conversation they needed to have elsewhere.

"Are we almost there?" Annie asked, bouncing up and down on the seat.

"As a matter of fact, we are," Oliver answered as the cab drew to a stop in front of the house. Annie squealed in delight and Grace chuckled as Oliver helped her from the taxi. The front door opened as Annie ran up the walk, Elizabeth framed in the doorway. Annie leapt up into her arms as she reached the door and Elizabeth laughed as she hugged the girl. She was just setting her down as Grace and Oliver came up the porch steps.

"The boys are out in the backyard," Elizabeth said to Annie as she set her down. "Why don't you run around and see what they're up to." Annie nodded and ran around the house, calling out for Paul and Joe as she did so. The three adults watched her, all shaking their heads and then Elizabeth ushered them inside, hugging them both as they crossed the threshold. They were joined shortly by Frank.

"How are you feeling?" Elizabeth asked Grace, once Frank had taken their coats.

"Much better," Grace said smiling. "I haven't been sick for a week and haven't needed a nap for two. I feel rather normal actually, except I feel like I'm eating everything in sight." The two women laughed and the men smiled indulgently, Frank all too familiar with this particular pregnancy symptom and Oliver having learned rather quickly not to mention his wife's increasing appetite.

"Let's take your things upstairs," Frank said, turning to Oliver. "You and Grace are in the boys' room and Annie is in with the girls."

"Oh, we didn't need to displace anyone," Oliver said. "Grace and I can stay in a hotel."

"Nonsense," Elizabeth insisted. "Those boys are overjoyed they get to have a campout in the living room for the next few nights. Joe's already trying to figure out how they can pitch the tent without nailing the stakes into the floor." She rolled her eyes as they all laughed.

Oliver and Frank carried the bags upstairs as Elizabeth pulled Grace to sit on the sofa.

"Now, tell me how you really feel," Elizabeth said. "You look rather tired to me."

"Honestly, I do feel fine," Grace said. "I just didn't get much sleep last night." She shrugged and looked away.

"And why would that be?" Elizabeth asked, catching Grace's eye once more and holding her gaze. Grace bit her lip, wondering just how much she should tell Elizabeth. Oliver hadn't told her to keep it a secret, after all. And, she could use an ally. Maybe between the two of them, they could talk Oliver out of what he was planning on doing.

"How much do you know about Oliver's plans for William Bennett?" Grace asked. Elizabeth sighed, looking as if she knew this were the problem.

"Frank told me about the conversation he and Oliver had at Annie's birthday," Elizabeth replied. "Although, not without a _great_ deal of persuasion from me." Her eyes flashed and Grace was reminded of Oliver's temper.

"Well, I'm sure that Oliver is telling Frank right now about their failed attempt to get William to sell off his shares," Grace said. "I can't imagine why else they would be taking this long to carry luggage upstairs." Elizabeth chuckled. "So, now Oliver's moved on to his original plan." Grace proceeded to divulge to Elizabeth what Oliver intended to do now to oust Bennett from the company. When she was finished, Elizabeth sighed and shook her head.

"I don't really think that's the best idea," Elizabeth said quietly. "It could backfire. Oliver has no idea of William's temper." She shuddered.

"I agree with you, but Oliver thinks that William won't do anything if the threat of public humiliation is hanging over his head," Grace said. She paused, taking a deep breath as she looked up. "I'm scared Elizabeth." Elizabeth reached out and grasped her hand.

"You have to tell him that," Elizabeth said. Grace laughed dryly.

"I have," she admitted. "He doesn't seem to think anything will happen to him. He thinks the fact that he has bodyguards will protect him. Don't get me wrong, Punjab and the Asp are excellent at what they do, but no one is infallible." Grace shook her head. "Maybe if you talked to him?"

"Grace, I don't know what good that will do," Elizabeth said. "If he won't listen to you, I doubt he'll listen to me."

"Would you at least try?" Grace asked pleadingly. Elizabeth looked at her sister-in-law's face, so imploring and hopeful all at once, and knew that she couldn't help but agree.

"All right, I'll try," she said, hugging Grace as the two men came back into the room.

* * *

><p>Later that evening, after the girls and Grace had already gone upstairs to bed, Elizabeth and Oliver were alone in the kitchen. Frank was getting bedding and sleeping bags from the attic for the boys who were quietly reading in the living room, waiting for their father.<p>

"Oliver," Elizabeth began, taking a sip of her tea. "Grace told me she didn't sleep well last night." Oliver looked up at her, eyebrows raised in question. "She also told me why." She looked purposefully at Oliver.

"So, I suppose you're going to try and talk me out if it then?" he asked, his features an expressionless mask.

"Only if you're doing this out of some misguided guilt about what happened to me," Elizabeth said, taking another sip of tea, but keeping her eyes locked on Oliver over the rim of her cup. Oliver's jaw clenched, but his face remained otherwise unchanged.

"Of course I feel guilty about what happened to you, I wasn't there to protect you," Oliver said, his tone suggesting that to think anything different was simply ludicrous.

"It wasn't your job to protect me," Elizabeth said. Oliver opened his mouth, then closed it again, shaking his head.

"I don't want to have this argument with you again," he said.

"Nor do I," Elizabeth admitted. "But, Oliver, your wife is very worried about you."

"I know that," Oliver sighed, scrubbing a hand down his face. "But I have to do this." He pounded his fist on the table for emphasis, causing Elizabeth to jump. Frank stuck his head in the kitchen on his way to the living room.

"Everything all right in here?" he asked, concern on his face.

"Yes, dear, it's fine," Elizabeth replied, smiling at him. Frank stood looking at them both for a minute, then nodded and continued on to the living room.

"I don't pretend to know how your mind works," Elizabeth said quietly, shaking her head. Oliver snorted. "But, Oliver, you need to be careful. Your wife is very upset about the whole thing. You shouldn't be putting her under stress like this, especially now," Elizabeth reprimanded.

"I'll talk to her again," Oliver promised. "Make her understand."

"But you're not going to change your mind, are you?" Elizabeth asked. Oliver looked her in the eye for a long moment, then slowly shook his head.

"No, I'm not. Bennett needs to be punished for what he did," Oliver said. "And if I can't send him to jail, at least I can make his life a bit miserable." Elizabeth opened her mouth to say something, but Oliver held up a hand, stopping her. "Elizabeth, what I really want to do is beat the man senseless, cut out his tongue and feed it to him, then put him on display for all the world to see. And then maybe, _maybe_ I'd feel as if he had gotten what he deserved. As it is, I promised Grace I would do nothing that might get me thrown in jail. This is all I have left and I don't intend to change my mind about it."

"Revenge never seems to give you the satisfaction you think it will," Elizabeth said quietly. If she was shocked by what her brother had just said, she didn't show it.

"Perhaps not," Oliver answered. "But it's a hell of a lot better than what I've got now."

"Which is what?" Elizabeth asked.

"Helplessness," Oliver replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "And that's something no one can ever see."

* * *

><p>Oliver opened the door quietly to the boys' room. Grace was lying in one of the twin beds, her eyes closed, seemingly asleep. He moved slowly into the room, taking off his shoes so as to muffle his footsteps, not wanting to wake her. He removed his jacket and hung it on the back of a nearby chair, looking in the open suitcase to pull out his shaving kit. His brow furrowed as he searched for it and he was thinking he might have to turn on the small bedside lamp when he heard a voice in the darkness.<p>

"I put your kit in the bathroom already," Grace said. Oliver turned and she was still lying in the same position, but her eyes were open, watching him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," he said, walking to her bed and sitting down on the edge of it.

"I wasn't asleep," she admitted. "I was, well, waiting for you, actually." He gave her a confused look, but she wouldn't meet his eye and she had begun to twist the blanket between her fingers. Oliver waited, knowing there was something else she wanted to say or ask and a few seconds later, he was proved right.

"Did you talk to Elizabeth?" Grace blurted out, looking up at him once again. Ah, so this was why Elizabeth had brought up the subject of William Bennett, he thought to himself. He knew he should probably be annoyed with Grace, for bringing his sister into their argument, but he wasn't, not really. He knew she was upset and scared, he just needed to make her understand.

"Yes, she and I just had a chat in the kitchen," Oliver said, switching on the bedside lamp and then crossing the room to close the door before looking back at Grace pointedly.

"I'm sorry," Grace said sheepishly.

"It's all right," he replied, laying a hand on her cheek. Grace propped herself up on one elbow and took his hand with her other.

"So, what did the two of you talk about?" Grace asked, looking down at their joined hands, playing with the wedding ring on his. Oliver sighed.

"Grace, I haven't changed my mind," he said quietly and her shoulders sagged. She let go of his hand and lay back down on the bed, looking across the room at the wall.

"Sweetheart, please, try and understand," Oliver began, but Grace simply shook her head.

"Don't worry about it, Oliver," she said, picking at a loose thread on the pillowcase.

"No, listen, please," Oliver said, gently turning her face to look at him. "I know that you're worried about me Grace, can we please talk about it?" She looked at him for a moment, then nodded, sitting up next to him. Oliver took her hands in his, then turned so he was facing her.

"I know that you don't agree and I'm not sure what else to say to make you understand, but this is something that I have to do. I can't stand seeing that man at another stockholder meeting, knowing what he's done to Elizabeth, what he's done to try and ruin my business. He needs to be stopped, somehow. If all I can do is take away his livelihood, then that's what I'll do. Because I cannot and I **will not** continue to let him earn a profit on the backs of those he has tried repeatedly to destroy." Oliver looked at Grace when he finished speaking, her expression no longer one of fear, but compassion and a bit of pride as well. She reached a hand up and cupped his cheek in her hand, then leaned up and kissed him softly.

"All right," she said simply.

"All right?" Oliver questioned.

"All right, I understand," Grace said, smiling at him.

"You do?" he said, clearly puzzled.

"I do," she said. "I think I always did, I just, I was just scared." She looked up at him, the fear back in her eyes. "I'm still scared Oliver."

"I know, darling, I know," he said soothingly, pulling her into his arms. "But, listen, he's had almost twenty years to come after me personally and he hasn't yet. I think he might be a little scared himself." He smiled down at her and she chuckled.

"Still, you've never kicked him out of the company before," Grace said pulling away from him.

"True," he admitted, a wry smile on his face.

"Oliver," Grace said, then paused, biting her lip. He reached up and with his thumb, gently pulled it from between her teeth.

"What is it?" he asked, tipping her head up so she looked at him.

"I want you to promise me something," she said, staring into his eyes.

"Anything," he said, his gaze boring back into hers.

"Promise me that you'll always have either Punjab or the Asp with you when you go anywhere," she said, her eyes imploring.

"Grace," Oliver said, shaking his head as if to tell her she was being silly. But Grace grasped his hands tightly in her own.

"Please, promise me," she insisted. "I don't know what I would do if something happened to you. If he," she stopped, breaking off with a small sob. Oliver looked at her, incredulous for a moment, then pulled her back into his arms, hugging her tightly. He knew she was worried, but he had no idea she had been this terrified.

"I promise," he said, into her hair. "I swear to you Grace, nothing is going to happen to me." She pulled back from him again and kissed him fiercely, he returning the kiss until they were both breathless. And then he laid his wife back into the pillows, covering her body with his own and made his promises again with no words between them.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Grace awoke shortly after dawn, the morning sun just barely making its way into the window across the room. Oliver was still twined around her, his hand covering the baby, his knee between hers and his back braced against the wall. She smiled at the thought of them sleeping the night in the small, narrow bed and was actually glad she had turned down Frank's offer to push the two beds together the night before. She snuggled herself back into Oliver, pulling his arm that was under her around to twine her fingers with his. He pulled her tighter to him, nuzzling her neck and kissing her behind the ear. She sighed in contentment, pulling the blankets up further around them.<p>

"Did you sleep all right?" he asked, kissing her shoulder now.

"Mmm, yes, you?" she said.

"Better than I thought I would in this tiny bed," he said, laughing. She giggled in response and then he pulled himself up on one elbow and turned her onto her back, kissing her again. Her arms twined round his neck and his free hand had snaked up her side when there was a knock on the door. The two of them froze and then as Grace looked up and saw the expression on Oliver's face, she began to laugh. She bit her lip to keep any noise from escaping, but her shoulders shook in mirth. Oliver looked down at her, mouth agape, before he collapsed next to her in a silent laughing fit of his own when the knock came again. Grace was lightly slapping at Oliver to try and get him to stop so she could collect herself enough to answer the door. She had managed to pull the blankets back up over him and stood and pulled on a robe before the door slowly began to creak open. Grace crossed the room quickly and made it to the door before the gap was bigger than her body. Elizabeth was standing in the hall and Grace sighed in relief. At least they had been caught by an adult and not one of the children. The thought made her bite her lip again to keep from laughing

Elizabeth glanced into the room at the one made and clearly unslept in bed before she looked back at Grace, eyebrow raised. Grace tried to compose herself, but a wide grin split her face before she was able to clear her throat and force her features into a neutral look, but her eyes still danced. Elizabeth whispered something under her breath that sounded distinctly like "newlyweds" and Grace couldn't help but laugh. She heard an answering snorted laugh from the bed behind her and Elizabeth's eyebrow rose again. Grace covered her mouth with her hand, but not before a loud laugh issued from her and soon Elizabeth was chuckling as well.

"Yes, well, all hilarity aside, you did ask me to wake you this morning when I was going to go and start the turkey," Elizabeth said, still grinning.

"Yes, I did," Grace agreed. "I'll be down in a few minutes." Elizabeth nodded, then turned to go.

"Oh and Grace," she said, looking back over her shoulder before the other woman had a chance to close the door. "You may want to get dressed before you come down. I'm sure the boys will be up soon and they may wonder why their aunt is wearing their uncle's dressing gown." With that, Elizabeth continued down the stairs, leaving Grace to look down and realize that she did indeed have on Oliver's robe, with no conscious remembrance of actually putting it on. As she shut the door behind her, Grace looked over at the lump still hiding under the covers on the bed.

"Your sister is never going to invite us back again," Grace said and the lump on the bed began to shake in laughter, Grace joining in soon after.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N - So sorry for the delay! It seems that undecorating after Christmas takes much longer than decorating for Christmas for some reason. Here is the next chapter and Happy 2012! **

Oliver sat at a table in the back of the bar, waiting. The place was dimly lit, shadows danced along the walls and in the corners, providing darkness and cover for all kinds of nefarious deeds. There were few patrons present, the bartender the lone employee. It was perfect for what Oliver intended to do, he knew no one here would show any interest in what they assumed to be just one more backroom deal. He sipped his drink while he waited for Bennett to show up, the folder of pictures Walt had given him sitting in front of him on the table. Punjab stood in the shadowy corner behind Oliver, all but invisible in the darkness.

The door to the bar finally opened, bright light spilling in from the street outside, a tall man silhouetted in the doorway. Oliver couldn't tell who it was at first, but as the door closed and the room was plunged into near darkness once more, it became evident that it was the man he was waiting for.

Bennett approached the table Oliver was sitting at with a sneer on his face. Oliver continued to look blankly at him, his expression giving away nothing.

"So, finally decided I was worth a bit of your time, did you?" William asked, as he pulled out the chair across from Oliver and sat down. "Last meeting with your foreman not go so well?" Oliver bristled at this, but managed to maintain his blank expression. He'd had a meeting with the foreman just two days ago. Another round of vandalism had occurred sometime over the Thanksgiving weekend and they had been delayed over a week in production, getting things back into working order.

"I must say, I thought the juvenile attempts to ruin my company might be over, that perhaps you had grown up," Oliver replied, a smile on his face. "Seems I was mistaken."

"It's not _your_ company," William replied through gritted teeth.

"Well, I do beg to differ on that point, but that is really neither here nor there," Oliver continued, pulling the folder towards him and opening it. "Actually I've asked to meet with you on another matter entirely."

"Unless it's agreeing to give me back my company," William said, glaring at Oliver. "I'm not interested."

"Oh, I think you will be once you see what I brought to show you," Oliver said, smile never leaving his face. "It seems you've been a naughty boy, William, a very naughty boy." William's eyes narrowed, as he glanced from the folder to Oliver and back again. His gaze grew suspicious, but the sneer had still not left his face. Oliver pulled a photo from the folder and slid it across the table to Bennett. It was the one Grace had seen. William glanced at it then looked back at Oliver, shrugging his shoulders.

"So, you've got a picture of me with a lady friend of mine," William said. "Big deal."

"Yes, well, it seems that this 'lady friend' as you call her, is actually paid for her services," Oliver said, pulling another picture from the folder. "And as you can see in this one, well, you look a little more than friends to me." William swallowed visibly, but the expression of boredom on his face didn't change.

"So what if we are?" William challenged. "Never realized it was a crime to have a girlfriend."

"Oh, it's not," Oliver said, pulling out yet another photo. "However, brawling in bar is." At this, Oliver took a stack of the photos and dropped them in front of William. William ignored them for a moment, then glanced through them quickly. He looked back up at Oliver and shrugged his shoulders once again.

"I got into a fight at a bar," William said. "Happens all the time, don't think the cops are going to be in any all fire hurry to come and arrest me."

"Perhaps not," Oliver agree, tapping one finger against his lips as if thinking. Then he clapped a hand to his forehead. "I completely forgot to mention, paying a prostitute is also illegal."

"You can't prove anything," William said darkly, but Oliver could tell there was a hint of worry behind the look.

"Well, that's where you are, once again, wrong," Oliver said, tossing the folder and its remaining contents across the table to William. Bennett opened the folder and saw the last photo. One of him outside the brothel, handing something to the madam, the girl from the bar tucked under his arm. Under it was the statement Walt had taken from the girl about William's frequent presence at her place of employment. "Didn't anyone ever teach you to finish conducting your business behind closed doors?" Oliver asked, a smirk on his face.

"It's my word against hers," William said, his voice unwavering, but Oliver could see he had lost all the color in his face.

"True," Oliver said, nodding his head thoughtfully. "Maybe you're right, the police probably wouldn't bother." William smiled triumphantly. "Although," Oliver continued, then stopped, looking down at the photos contemplatively.

"What?" William asked, his face once again wary.

"I was just thinking that that board would probably be very interested to see where you spend that 15% share of their money," Oliver said quietly, locking eyes with William. William looked shocked for a moment, then such a look of fury crossed his face that Oliver could feel Punjab tense behind him. Oliver held a restraining hand down at his side and Punjab once again melted back into the shadows, without William having seen him.

"You wouldn't," William exclaimed, his jaw clenching, his hands in fists.

"Oh, I can assure you that I most certainly would," Oliver said, his smile cool, yet threatening.

"What do you want?" William asked, his mouth tight.

"I want you to sell all your shares in the company to me. I want you to leave my factory and all its employees alone, no more sabotage, no more trying to incite the workers against the management. I want you to never so much as show a hair on your head around my company again," Oliver finished, his own voice hardened.

"And if I don't?" William asked through gritted teeth and Oliver could tell he was barely keeping a lid on his anger. Punjab seemed to sense it too, for he had moved forward slightly, although not enough to be seen.

"It's quite simple, really. If you don't, I give that folder and all of its contents to the board and let them make their own decisions. I'm sure they will come to the same one I have," Oliver replied. At this, William seemed to smirk a bit, as if he knew that not everyone on the board would come to that conclusion. Oliver decided it was time for the final bomb of the afternoon. "And if they don't, I'm sure they'll change their minds once those pictures are on the front page of the newspaper."

This final statement seemed to kill the last of William's composure, as he lunged across the table towards Oliver. Oliver simply leaned back in his chair as Punjab materialized from the blackness to reach across the table, taking hold of William's arm. Bennett nearly shrieked in fright, but gathered himself quickly, looking up at Punjab in defiance.

"That would not be a good idea," the bodyguard said, squeezing Bennett's arm. William gasped in pain before wrenching his arm away from the other man. Although Oliver knew that William would never have gotten out of Punjab's hold, had Punjab not released him.

William stood, glaring at Oliver as Punjab moved to his side. A few customers in the bar had looked up at the confrontation, but now went back to their drinks, clearly no longer interested. Bennett sank back down into his chair, sullen expression on his face. He reminded Oliver of a child, caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Back to the business at hand," Oliver said. "I will pay you market price for your shares, not that you deserve it. I just need the information to wire the money to your account."

"Cash," William said.

"What?" Oliver asked, clearly thinking he had misheard the man.

"I want it in cash," William repeated. Oliver hesitated for a moment, cash would mean needing to see Bennett again to deliver it, which he had absolutely no desire to do. Not to mention the fact that Oliver did not wish to be seen handing over a large amount of money to, while not proven, at least a suspected criminal. Still, it would mean he would be free of Bennett for good.

"Fine, meet me in the lobby of my hotel at 5:00," Oliver said, writing down the hotel name on a piece of paper and handing it to William. "I'll have it for you then." William looked at the paper then up at Oliver.

"You're a real bastard, you know that?" William said quietly. Oliver chuckled.

"So I've been told," Oliver said. "Still, I'd rather be a bastard than the disgusting excuse for a human being that you've become." Oliver looked at Bennett with all the hatred and revulsion he could muster. William looked taken aback for a minute, then a slow, sly grin broke across his face.

"Been talking to your sister, have you?" William asked, as Oliver's anger flared. "I must admit, when they talk about revenge being sweet, I never really knew what they meant. Until I had her." This time it was Oliver's turn to lunge across the table, grabbing Bennett by the throat. He squeezed, not enough to cut off the man's air supply, but enough to get his attention.

"If you **ever** lay a hand on **anyone** in my family again, I will kill you with my bare hands," Oliver said, his voice low and menacing. Punjab hovered at his side, but seemed to realize his boss was still in control of himself and did nothing to stop Oliver. William just stared at him, gasping for air a bit as Oliver's hold on his throat tightened. Oliver saw movement out of the corner of his eye at the same time Punjab put a hand on his arm. Apparently, the bartender was becoming a little too interested in their conversation. Oliver let go, shoving Bennett back into his chair, then gathering up the photos and papers that were now scattered over the top of the table. The bartender went back to wiping glasses behind the bar, as Bennett rubbed his throat.

"You'll regret that," William said.

"The only thing I regret is that I can't improve the state of the world by wiping you from it," Oliver said, not looking at Bennett. He finished picking up his papers, then turned and walked away from the table, followed by Punjab. Before they reached the door, however, Oliver stopped. Bennett had begun to laugh, high and maniacal. As Oliver looked round in confusion, Bennett only laughed harder. Oliver stared at him for a moment, then turned on his heel and left the bar, Bennett's laughter ringing in his ears, long after the door had closed behind him.

* * *

><p>Grace and Annie were stringing popcorn and cranberries for the massive Christmas tree in the front hall when Oliver arrived home. He stood in the doorway, watching them for a minute before either of them noticed he was there. They were laughing about something, Annie's eyes sparkling in the light from the Christmas tree and Grace smiling indulgently, her face literally glowing. He continued to watch them silently, as if saying or doing anything to announce his presence would break the spell of joy which seemed to blanket the room.<p>

It was Annie who looked up first, her smile wide as she saw him. She set her popcorn string aside and ran to the door, calling out for him. He crouched down a bit so he could catch her in his arms, then picked her up and hugged her to him. Grace had followed quickly behind and Oliver held out an arm to her as well, pulling her into his side. He wanted to stand here forever with his girls in his arms, nothing else able to banish the memory of his encounter with William Bennett so quickly or so entirely. He held them close for a few minutes more until Grace pulled back, looking at him with concern. He smiled wryly, she was always able to sense his moods. He set Annie down on her feet, then kissed his wife's forehead before turning to the tree.

"I think that is the most beautiful Christmas tree we've ever had," he said, smiling at Annie.

"I picked it out," she said excitedly.

"And you did a wonderful job," he said, ruffling her hair. He looked up and saw that Grace was still looking at him worriedly and tried to give her a reassuring smile. He must have failed because she turned to Annie, handing her a large bowl.

"Annie, why don't you go and see if Mrs. Pugh is finished popping that next batch of popcorn," Grace directed. "It looks as if we need some more."

"Okay," Annie said happily, skipping off to the kitchen. When she was gone, Grace walked back to Oliver, taking his hand in hers.

"What is it?" she asked. Oliver simply shook his head and hugged her to him.

"I missed you," he said, drinking in the scent of her, letting it soothe him, trying to push all the thoughts of guilt and disgust from his mind.

"I missed you too," she replied, looking up at him. "But there's something else, I can tell. Didn't he show up?"

"Yes, he showed up," Oliver said, sighing, somewhat annoyed that she could read him so well. "Everything went as planned, he's officially no longer a stockholder."

"Well, that's good then, isn't it?" Grace asked, looking puzzled now.

"Yes, it's good," Oliver agreed, but ran a hand over his head looking defeated all the same.

"Oliver?" Grace said questioningly, putting a hand to his cheek. He looked down at her, wanting to tell her, needing to tell her, but he couldn't. He felt as if her knowing would somehow taint the innocent life now growing inside her. No, he wouldn't burden her with this, he would carry it himself. It was what he deserved anyway, for allowing anything to happen to Elizabeth in the first place.

"I'm fine, darling, really," Oliver said, trying to smile at her again. "Just tired from the trip and to be perfectly honest, there's something else I'd rather do than talk right now." He lowered her head to hers and captured her lips in a kiss so fierce that he felt Grace's knees buckle. He pulled her to him more tightly, but did not break the kiss, wanting to drown himself in her and just forget everything else. She pulled away, breathless, after a few moments, looking up at him in shock and he realized that instead of taking her mind off of what he didn't want to talk about, he had only succeeded in making her more suspicious. While Grace always welcomed his affections, she also knew that he was never so expressive unless they were alone. And here they were in the middle of the front hall where any of the staff could see them, not to mention the fact that Annie could return from the kitchen at any moment.

"Oliver, go into the study," Grace said, her arms still around him. "Let me get Annie settled and I'll be in to talk to you in a minute, all right." He shook his head and opened his mouth to protest, but the look on her face told him there was no room for argument. He simply nodded, then let her go and went into the study, cursing himself for his idiocy.

* * *

><p>Grace took a deep breath, watching him walk away. Oliver normally had a tight rein on his emotions unless they were in private. For him to kiss her that way in front of what conceivably could have been a large portion of the staff, something had obviously happened in Pittsburgh that had upset him greatly. Grace turned to the kitchen to ask Mrs. Pugh to keep Annie with her, knowing that even if he didn't want to admit it, Oliver needed her right now.<p>

She entered the study a few minutes later to find him standing and staring out the window, a glass of scotch in his hand. He didn't turn when she closed the door behind her and Grace knew not to approach him just yet. He was obviously trying to decide how and what to tell her. She sat down on the sofa, tucking her legs up under her and waited. It didn't take long and although he didn't turn around, he did begin to speak.

"The meeting went off as it should have. Bennett was arrogant and sure that he was going to be able to talk his way out of everything at first, as I knew he would be. It wasn't until I told him I would go to the press that he backed down," Oliver began.

"So he agreed to your terms then?" Grace asked.

"Yes, except I had to pay him in cash, which honestly, I should have expected," Oliver conceded. Grace nodded, although he couldn't see her, still facing the window as he was. She waited, but he didn't continue, simply sipped at his drink and looked out over the lawn.

"Oliver, what else happened?" Grace finally asked, the silence becoming too much for her.

"I went to the bank and got the money. He met me in the hotel lobby and I gave it to him. Then he left and Punjab and I had dinner," Oliver replied. "We caught the morning train today and here I am." He turned then and smiled at her, but Grace only frowned, knowing he had left out part of what happened. He moved to the sideboard then, pouring himself another drink and instead of sipping this one, downed it in one gulp, taking the bottle to pour another. Grace rose from the sofa and went to him, putting her hand on his arm that held the bottle. He stopped and looked at her. She could see something in his eyes, something that he tried to mask and probably would have been able to do a very good job of, had she not stopped the next pour into his glass. She knew what this was about now, knew why he didn't want to tell her, but she wasn't going to let him do this again, push her away, drown his remorse in a bottle.

"He brought up Elizabeth, didn't he?" Grace asked. Oliver simply stared at her for a moment, then looked down at the floor. As Grace watched, all the fight seemed to go out of him for a second, then he straightened his back and his face became devoid of all emotion. He simply nodded curtly to Grace, then turned and walked back to the window. She knew he wasn't going to offer anything more unless she pushed. He didn't want to tell her, why she wasn't sure, but before he'd blanked his face, she had seen the disgust in his eyes. A big part of her didn't want to know, didn't want to have to hear the words that she knew would only revolt her, but the rest wanted to help Oliver, take away his pain and, she knew, his guilt.

"What did he say?" she asked, as she came up next to him, wrapping an arm around his waist. Oliver just shook his head, continuing to look out the window.

"I don't want you to know any of it, I don't want you to have to hear it, think about it. I don't want you to have to know that there are people like him in the world, the disgusting, depraved way he thinks. Don't make me tell you, don't make me, taint you in that way." He shook his head and looked away, but Grace put her hand on his cheek and turned him back to look at her.

"Oliver, I'm not a child. I've lived long enough to know there are monsters in this world and the horrible, terrible things they can do. And I know that you're trying to keep this to yourself to punish yourself for something that was never your fault in the first place. I want to help you, please, tell me," she said, her gaze locking with his. He took a deep breath, then looked back out the window as if he were unable to meet her eyes when he told her.

"He was talking about revenge," Oliver said so quietly, that if Grace hadn't been standing so close to him, she never would have heard him. "And he said that he had never understood why people said that revenge was sweet, until," Oliver paused, swallowing audibly. "Until he, until he had her." Bile rose in Grace's throat and she had not been so close to being physically ill since those first few days before she even knew she was pregnant. This though, this was different, she just wanted to be sick until she had gotten rid of all the disgust and repulsiveness that came along with anything to do with William Bennett. For a brief moment, she regretted making Oliver promise not to do anything illegal, for she wanted to kill the man herself. But, she forced herself to calm, to not shudder, to settle her stomach and turn her attention to Oliver, who so clearly needed her.

She stepped in front of him and took his face in her hands so he couldn't avoid her gaze. She looked at him for the longest of moments, losing herself in the depths of his eyes which had now dropped their façade of indifference and showed the edges of his pain. His face was still a detached mask, but his eyes, as long as she could see them, she could always tell what he was feeling. She stood on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissed him as gently as she could.

"I'm not going to tell you that it's not your fault, not because it is, but because you won't believe me. And I'm not going to tell you not to feel guilty, not because you should, but because you will, no matter what I say. All I'm going to say is that I love you and that your sister loves you and no matter how much guilt you try and pile on yourself, William Bennett made his own choices." Grace said, looking up at him. "And now it's over, he's gone and you don't have to deal with him again. We can put this behind us and look forward to all that is good in our life. It's Christmas in a week, we have a daughter that is more excited than you could ever imagine and we have this," she stopped and took his hand, placing it on her expanding midsection. "Please Oliver, let this go now, all of it, the guilt, the blame, the anger. Come back to us."

He looked at her, his hand still on her belly, then pulled her close to him, kissing her temple. She sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her head against his chest. They stood there for quite a long time until Oliver pulled back from her. He took hold of her upper arms and stared deeply into her eyes. "I promise," he said, quietly, but forcefully. She smiled and kissed him again.

* * *

><p>Oliver was alone in the study, Grace had gone to get Annie from the kitchen and help her finish stringing the popcorn. He had promised to join them in a few minutes, so they could decorate the tree together. Grace had looked at him skeptically for a moment, then seemed to find what she was looking for in his face, because she smiled and nodded, kissing him on the cheek and squeezing his hand before she left.<p>

He stood looking out the window again, no drink in his hand this time, just thinking about their conversation. Grace was right, he needed to let this all go now, it _was_ over and he did have much more important things to focus on. If Elizabeth could move on and forge the life for herself that she had after all that had happened to her, if she could forgive him and want him back in her life, then surely he could do the same for himself.

It was easier said than done, however. Oliver was used to being responsible, in charge, and for all intents and purposes, perfect. He had always taken care of everyone, his siblings, his mother, his business, his employees. It was hard for him to let go of everything that he had always thought himself to be, to admit that he _wasn't_ perfect, that he made mistakes, but that those mistakes didn't have to own him. They didn't have to follow him around for the rest of his life, reminding him of what a failure he could be.

His mind turned to Grace, it was really because of her that he was able to even contemplate forgiving himself. She had shown him, more times than he could count, that he wasn't perfect, but that she still loved him anyway. He had been so close to the edge when she had come in the room and when she had brought up Elizabeth, he thought that he might sink down into the mire of guilt that was his mind. But then when he'd wrapped her up in his arms, he couldn't help noticing that she didn't meld into him the way she had only a few weeks ago. That her stomach was rounder than before, in only the few days he'd been gone, that it kept her from getting as close to him and she normally did. The thought of the baby, the new life that the two of them had created, had given him hope, pulled him back from the brink of despair he was so close to falling into and he had been able to promise her and mean it. He smiled as he turned and walked to the door to join his family.

* * *

><p>The tree was finally decorated and Oliver had taken Annie upstairs to put her to bed. The lights twinkled on all the glass ornaments and reflected off the shiny skins of the cranberries. Grace knew that most everyone was using tinsel now instead of popcorn and cranberries, she had used it herself when she decorated the tree last year. But she remembered as a little girl, sitting and stringing it with her own mother, and Grace was eager to pass the tradition on. Oliver hadn't seemed to mind, in fact, he had sat down and helped them finish the last string, holding Annie up so she could drape it over the branches herself.<p>

Grace was interrupted from her reverie, when Oliver came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She leaned back into him, sighing contentedly. He kissed her on top of the head, tightening his arms a bit. He was more relaxed than she could remember seeing him for a very long time and she hoped that after their talk in the study, he really was ready to put things to rest.

"Annie asleep?" she asked and she felt him nod on top of her head.

"Almost before she hit the pillow," he chuckled. "Tree trimming really tired her out, it seems."

"It really is a beautiful tree," Grace said after a few moments, looking up at the angel that sat atop it.

"Not as beautiful as you," he said, nuzzling her neck. She laughed and slapped at his arm playfully.

"We're still in the front hall you know," she said, gasping a bit as he kissed her behind the ear. He turned her in his arms.

"Hadn't noticed," he said before he dipped his head and kissed her. Grace stiffened for a moment, then decided she didn't really care who might walk by, most of the staff had retired for the evening anyway. They kissed for a very long time, Oliver pulling her closer and tangling his hands in her hair. Grace's arms had wound themselves around his neck, one hand pulling his head as close to her as she could. She was going weak in the knees and noticed Oliver shift to pick her up when she felt something low in her abdomen. She abruptly ended the kiss, pulling away, her hands flying to her stomach. Oliver, who had begun to bend down in order to pick her up, lost his balance as Grace pulled away and very nearly fell before he was able to right himself at the last minute.

"Grace, what on earth?" Oliver began, looking around the room as if expecting someone else to be there. He assumed she had pulled away because one of the staff had walked by, but he saw no one. Puzzled, he looked over at Grace, who stood with her hands splayed over her belly, a look of shock on her face. His heart dropped like a stone at her expression and he ran to her, taking hold of her arms.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice frantic. "Is it the baby?" She simply looked at him, her mouth opening and closing, but no sound escaping. The shock was still on her face and Oliver wanted to shake her, force her to tell him what was wrong. Instead he took a breath, making her to meet his gaze.

"Grace, please, what is it?" he asked again, his voice calmer, but still with a hint of hysteria. "Do I need to call the doctor?" This seemed to snap Grace out of whatever trance she was in, for she looked up at him sharply and then shook her head.

"No, no, it's not, at least, I don't think," she trailed off, looking down at her hands and then back up at Oliver. She shook her head again, although this time, it was as if to clear it. "I think, I think the baby just moved," she managed to squeak out, an air of awe in her voice. Now it was Oliver's turn to stand in shock and he stared at her, his mouth hanging open.

"I was talking to Helen about it the other day. She asked me if I'd felt anything yet and I said no, but then she told me how it felt and I think, no I'm sure, this was it," she stopped and looked up at Oliver, wide smile on her face, her hands still on her belly. He simply stared, shocked into silence it seemed and Grace chuckled. As she laughed, she felt it again.

"Oh," she said, the look of awe and wonder coming back to her face. She rubbed a hand across her stomach, smiling and felt her eyes begin to tear. As she looked up, Oliver seemed to have come back to himself. He stepped toward her and took her hand, which she squeezed tightly.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, looking at her in concern.

"No, no, it's just," she paused biting her lip, trying to decide how to explain it. She remembered as a girl, her teacher bringing a jar into class one day. Inside was a butterfly and Grace had watched as it had flapped its wings against the side of the jar. It seemed a fitting description. "It's like the fluttering of butterfly wings," she said, smiling at him. "So light, I barely feel it. It just took me by surprise. Here, give me your hand." She took Oliver's hand and placed it on her belly where she had felt the fluttering. She wasn't sure if it was strong enough that he would be able to feel it too, but she wanted to try all the same. They waited, but nothing happened. Oliver was looking at her expectantly, but she just shrugged.

"I guess he went back to sleep," she said, still smiling.

"He?" Oliver asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I got tired of saying 'it'," Grace replied. "And Annie wants a brother, so," she simply smiled and shrugged again. Oliver laughed and Grace joined in, Oliver's hand still on her belly. And then they both felt it. To Oliver it was nothing more than a slight ripple on her skin, but to Grace it was stronger than before. They both gasped and then Oliver looked up at her, astonishment on his face.

"Was that?" he asked and she nodded. "That's, that's, amazing," he breathed.

"I know," she managed to say, the tears that had threatened before now spilling over onto her cheeks. "I guess he likes it when I laugh." At this, they both smiled, Oliver gathering her into his arms and leading her to the settee where they had sat and strung the popcorn. They sat down, Oliver's arm around Grace's shoulder, his other hand still on her stomach.

"I can't believe, I mean I knew it before, but now, it's just all so," he stopped, clearly unable to continue.

"Real?" Grace asked, bringing a hand to his cheek. Oliver nodded, rubbing his hand across her stomach, hoping to feel the baby again, but he seemed to have quieted for the moment.

"We're going to have a baby, Grace," he said, with such wonderment in his voice, her heart skipped a beat and she simply stared at him lovingly.

"Yes, darling, we are," she said, leaning forward and kissing him.

* * *

><p>Christmas morning dawned bright and clear. Oliver awoke to a small hand on his cheek and as he opened his eyes, a very familiar redhead was looking at him, grin on her face.<p>

"Daddy Warbucks, it's Christmas," she whispered excitedly, as he turned to look at the clock on his bedside table.

"Yes, sweetheart, it is, but it's not even 6:00," he whispered back. "It's quite early yet."

"But, I think there might be presents," she said, her whispering getting louder now. Oliver brought a finger to his lips to quiet her, trying hard not to laugh.

"I'm sure that there are, but let's give your mother a little more time to sleep, all right? The baby still makes her tired sometimes," he said. "Your presents aren't going anywhere." She pouted for a minute, then glanced over at her sleeping mother and nodded.

"Okay," she conceded.

"Good girl," Oliver said, then moved away from Grace a bit and patted the bed in between them. "Why don't you climb in with us, maybe you can sleep a little more." Annie smiled happily as she burrowed under the covers between her parents, all three of them soon sound asleep once again.

When they did finally rise, Annie was right, there were plenty of presents under the tree. Toys and books, games and new clothes, but her absolute favorite was the shiny red bicycle that sat in front of the towering tree and she squealed when she saw it. Then her face fell as she looked back at Oliver and Grace.

"But I don't know how to ride," she said sadly.

"Well then it's lucky that your mother and I both do," Oliver said, smiling at her. "We'll teach you."

"Today?" Annie asked excitedly.

"If you like," Oliver said smiling. Annie nodded, jumping up and down and Oliver and Grace laughed. Annie than proceeded to dive back into her pile of presents and the rest of the morning was taken up with squeals of delight from the little girl and chuckles and smiles from her parents.

* * *

><p>After lunch, Oliver did indeed take Annie outside with her new bike. The large winding driveway had been cleared of snow and was the perfect place for her to practice. Grace sat on the front steps, hands wrapped around a mug of hot chocolate as she watched the two of them. Annie was a bit shaky at first, but she seemed to get the hang of it rather quickly and soon she was riding up and down the driveway, as fast as her feet could push the pedals. Oliver stood and called out to her encouragingly while Grace smiled. Finally Annie pulled to a stop in front of her, her cheeks red and her hair windblown.<p>

"Did you see me, Mom?" she asked eagerly.

"Yes, sweetheart, you did wonderfully," Grace replied, standing and giving the girl a hug.

"Daddy is a really good teacher," Annie said, smiling up at Oliver who had walked over to join them.

"Yes, that he is," Grace said, smiling at her husband.

"Did your dad teach you?" Annie asked Oliver and Grace looked up sharply. Annie had no idea of the relationship between Oliver and his father, she'd never really asked about him before. Oliver looked taken aback for a minute and Grace reached out for his hand. He squeezed hers in return, then looked down at Annie.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, he did," Oliver told her.

"He must have been a good teacher too," Annie said, nodding wisely. "That's why it was so easy for you to teach me." Oliver simply nodded and Grace intervened before Annie could say anymore.

"Annie, why don't you go in and see Mrs. Pugh," Grace said. "She's made a fresh batch of hot chocolate."

"Oh boy!" Annie exclaimed, then ran inside to get her treat in the kitchen. Grace turned to Oliver, who was looking off in the distance.

"Are you all right?" she asked, putting a hand on his arm.

"Fine," he said smiling, but there was a wistful look on his face.

"Did you father really teach you to ride a bike?" Grace asked hesitantly, unsure if she should bring the subject back up.

"Yes, he did," Oliver replied. "He taught both Davey and I. One of the few good things he ever did for us." And then the wistful look on his face was gone, replaced with the hardness that Grace had come to know meant he no longer wanted to discuss his father.

"Come on," she said, pulling on his arm. "Let's go have some hot chocolate." Oliver smiled and wrapped an arm around her and they went into the house together.

* * *

><p>That evening, the staff joined Oliver, Grace and Annie around the dining room table for their traditional Christmas dinner. Annie and Molly sat together, Annie relating her story about learning to ride her new bike, while Molly clutched her new doll to her. Grace looked over at Cecile and smiled.<p>

"Looks like they both got just what they wanted," Grace said and Cecile nodded.

"The doll used to be mine when I was a girl," Cecile replied. "Molly has not put it down since she opened it this morning." The two women smiled at their daughters chattering away across the table while the food continued to be brought in. Soon the table was bustling with talk and laughter, dish after dish making its way from hand to hand until everyone's plate was piled full. Grace looked around smiling at all the happy faces. She knew that most had seen their own families the day before and this morning, but she felt as if they were all a family too. Things were so different since Annie had come into their lives. She looked at Oliver and squeezed his hand under the table. He smiled and kissed her cheek as if he knew exactly how she was feeling.

Just before dessert was served, the doorbell rang. Drake jumped up, but Oliver held up a hand to stop him.

"Sit down, Drake and finish your dessert, I'll get it," Oliver said, standing.

"But, sir," Drake protested as the rest of the staff stared, some with their mouths hanging open. Grace stifled a laugh in her napkin, trying to play it off as a cough. Cecile, however, wasn't fooled and looked at Grace, giving her a wink.

"But, sir, nothing," Oliver responded. "It's Christmas, I can answer my own door." With that, he dropped his napkin on his plate and left the room. Grace caught the Asp's eye and he nodded, following Oliver silently. Grace sighed in relief. While she tried not to think about it, William Bennett was still on her mind and she didn't want Oliver answering the door with no one there to protect him.

* * *

><p>Oliver strode to the door wondering who in the world could be calling on Christmas of all days. As he reached it, he heard the near silent movement of the Asp behind him and smirked. Of course Grace wouldn't want him to open his own door without some kind of protection. He was sure it was just a last minute delivery of some kind, they had been getting gifts from various business associates all week.<p>

As Oliver pulled open the door, he was quiet unprepared for the sight that met him on the other side. In fact, he was rendered speechless by it.

"Hello, Oliver," the man said. "Merry Christmas." Oliver stood staring at him for what seemed like a very long time. The Asp moved up behind him, making sure his employer was all right and it was then that Oliver finally regained his ability to speak.

"What in the hell are you doing here?"


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N - Sorry for the cliffie last time, questions will be answered in this one! Shorter than usual, but it was the best place to stop. Enjoy! **

The man didn't answer right away and his initial outburst aside, Oliver was still so shocked at the man's appearance that he stood in silence as well. As it grew, Oliver became more agitated, wanting to get this confrontation over with and get back to his family.

"Tell-" Oliver said.

"Sor-" the man began at the same time. He chuckled, then gestured for Oliver to continue.

"Tell me why I shouldn't have my bodyguards remove you from my property right now," Oliver said tightly. The man chuckled again.

"I guess I can't think a reason," he said. "But I want to say that I'm sorry." Oliver was taken aback, an apology was something he had never expected to hear from the man in front of him. But he wasn't about to forgive him, not after everything that had passed between them.

"I don't mean to interrupt your Christmas," the man continued. "I've actually been in town for a few days, I meant to come by sooner but," he trailed off looking sheepish.

"Too much of a coward?" Oliver asked, arms crossed.

"I suppose," the man replied.

"What a surprise," Oliver said under his breath. The man's head jerked up and his eyes narrowed, having heard what Oliver said. But a moment later, he relaxed his posture and shrugged, then sighed.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" he asked, looking almost hopeful. Oliver barked out a laugh.

"Do you honestly think that is going to happen?" Oliver asked, still laughing.

"All I ask is a few minutes," the man said. "Please Oliver." Something in the man's tone gave Oliver pause, and he eyed him narrowly for a few seconds before nodding shortly.

"All right, ten minutes, no more," Oliver said, moving aside to allow the man entrance. Oliver nodded to the Asp, communicating something silently to him, as he led the man into the study, closing the door behind them.

* * *

><p>Grace took another bite of her pie, glancing once again at the doorway. Neither Oliver nor the Asp had returned and Grace was starting to wonder what was taking so long. She assumed, as Oliver had, that it was just another delivery, but that would have only taken a few seconds, not the almost ten minutes that had elapsed. Her brow furrowed in concentration as the Asp came back into the dining room. Grace looked up expecting to see Oliver right behind him, but he wasn't. The Asp made his way toward Grace.<p>

"Mr. Warbucks wanted me to tell you he would be a few minutes more," the Asp said.

"Where is he?" Grace asked, confused.

"He is speaking to the man that was at the door, in his study," the Asp replied. Grace's heart clenched in fear. The Asp must have seen the expression on her face, because he continued. "It is not William Bennett." Grace blew out a breath in relief, but the look of confusion came back on to her face.

"Then who?" she asked, utterly bewildered.

"I do not know, but Mr. Warbucks did not see any danger from this man," the Asp responded. "Do not worry, I waited near the door for quite a while, but they are simply talking." Bowing slightly to Grace, he made his way back around the table to his seat. Grace bit her lip, thinking, then leaned to Cecile and asked her to keep an eye on Annie for a minute. She stood and left the dining room, making her way to the study.

Before she even reached the door, she could hear raised voices, Oliver's and another man's that she did not recognize. She stopped short, wondering if she should perhaps get the Asp or Punjab anyway, no matter what Oliver had said. But before she could make a decision on what to do, the door to the study was flung open and a man that looked vaguely familiar to Grace stormed out. He ignored her and strode purposefully to the front door, slamming it behind him as he left. Grace jumped at the sound, then hurried into the study.

"Oliver," she called as she came through the door. He was sitting in the corner of the sofa, facing the empty fireplace, hand over his eyes. Grace crossed the room quickly and sat down beside him. "Are you all right?" she asked, anxiously.

"Define all right," he said, snorting.

"You're not hurt are you?" she asked, hands and eyes roaming his body for some kind of injury. He took his hand from his eyes and looked at her.

"No, no I'm not hurt," he said, leaning forward and putting his elbows on his knees, scrubbing his hands up and down his face. He suddenly looked very tired.

"Oliver, who was that man?" Grace asked, putting a hand on his back. Oliver made a sound somewhere between a snort and a laugh and shook his head.

"That, was Henry Warbucks," he said, looking around at Grace. "My father." Grace gasped. Now she knew why he had looked familiar, the resemblance between them was great.

"But, what, he, your father?" she spluttered. Oliver simply nodded. "What is he doing here?"

"According to him, trying to make amends," Oliver said, a noise of derision coming from his throat. He got up and went to the sideboard, pouring himself a glass of brandy.

"You don't believe him, obviously," Grace said as Oliver crossed back to the sofa.

"Not for a minute," Oliver said. "He's got some kind of agenda, I'm sure."

"Is that why he was so angry when he left?" Grace asked, rubbing a hand across Oliver's back.

"No, I doubt he expected I would believe what he said and fall at his feet," Oliver said, taking a drink from his glass. "He was upset because I wouldn't tell him where Elizabeth was. Evidently he wants to make amends to her too." Grace laid her head against Oliver's shoulder, remembering what Elizabeth had said about her father kicking her out of their house when she told him she was pregnant after being raped by William Bennett.

"Maybe he really does," Grace said and Oliver's head snapped toward her. He looked angry for a moment, then his expression softened at the worry on his wife's face.

"Even if he does, he lost all right to do that when he treated her the way he did," Oliver said, his voice full of disgust.

"Don't you think she should be the one to decide that?" Grace asked, quietly bracing herself for the explosion of Oliver's temper. Surprisingly, it didn't come.

"I don't know Grace, I just don't know," he said, sounding defeated. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his shoulder once again.

"What is it?" she asked, rubbing his back again.

"I just wonder when it's all going to stop," he said.

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"First Annie's kidnapping, then everything with Elizabeth, which, don't misunderstand, I am very grateful to have her back in my life, but it was stressful nonetheless. Then William Bennett and everything that went along with that and now, just when I thought all of that was behind us, my father shows up talking about forgiveness and regret. I just want some peace, Grace," he said quietly. "Is that really too much to ask?"

"No, darling, it's not," Grace said, kissing him softly on the cheek. He wrapped an arm around her and they sat on the sofa for a few more minutes, both caught up in their own thoughts. Finally Grace pulled away from Oliver and took his hand.

"Come on," she said. "We'd better get back before everyone gets worried and comes looking for us." She pulled him to his feet and put her arm around his waist. He set his glass down on the end table and put his arm around her shoulders and they made their way back to the dining room.

* * *

><p>Quite a few hours later, Grace awoke, realizing that Oliver was no longer in bed with her. She looked around the room, but saw no sign of him. Sighing, she got up and put on her robe and slippers, walking quietly to the hallway and going in search of her husband.<p>

She found him a short time later in the office, pacing up and down in front of the fireplace. She stood in the doorway for a few minutes, but when Oliver did not notice her presence, Grace stepped into the room, clearing her throat as she did so. Oliver whirled around, startled, then relaxed when he saw it was her.

"Grace, what are you doing up?" he asked, crossing the room to her.

"I woke up alone. I was worried about you," she replied, crossing her arms in front of her.

"I'm sorry darling," he said, kissing the top of her head. "I didn't want to disturb you with my tossing and turning."

"Oliver, what's going on?" she asked, looking worriedly at him.

"I'm just thinking," he said, not looking at her.

"About your father, I assume," she said and he nodded.

"I'm just trying to figure out his angle, what he wants," Oliver said rather forcefully.

"Maybe he doesn't want anything except to try and make it up to you and Elizabeth, like he said," Grace offered tentatively, but Oliver began shaking his head before she even finished her sentence.

"No, I know that's what he's said, but I don't believe it," Oliver said. "I'm sure there is something else." Grace sighed.

"Well, whatever it is, you're not going to figure it out tonight," Grace said. "Come to bed Oliver."

"In a few minutes," he said, distractedly. Grace rolled her eyes, for she knew his "few minutes" would turn into hours and she would find him here in the morning, either still pacing or asleep on the sofa.

"No, not in a few minutes," Grace said, walking towards him. "Come now." Oliver looked back at her, her tone surprising him. The look in her eyes left no room for argument and Oliver sighed. Perhaps she was right, he wasn't going to solve anything tonight and it was very late.

"All right," he said, taking her hand. "Let's go back to bed." Grace smiled at him and squeezed his hand as they walked back to the bedroom. As Oliver climbed in beside her and curled himself around her back, he was rather glad that she had awoken after all.

* * *

><p>A few days later, Oliver was alone in the office, going over a report, Grace having taken Annie shopping. Drake came into the room just as Oliver was contemplating quitting work for the day.<p>

"Sir, there is a man here to see you," Drake said.

"Who is it Drake?" Oliver asked.

"He says his name is Henry Warbucks, sir," Drake replied, looking rather suspicious about the whole thing. Oliver had never spoken of his family to the staff. It was a shock to all of them when Elizabeth had turned up at the wedding. Drake was not entirely convinced that this man was related to his boss at all, although there was a resemblance between the two of them. Oliver sighed.

"Did he say what he wanted?" he asked, but Drake shook his head.

"Only that he wanted to speak to you sir," Drake said.

"Fine," Oliver replied, sighing again. "Bring him up." Drake nodded then left the room, returning a few moments later with Henry in tow.

"Can I get you anything sir?" Drake asked, after delivering the visitor.

"No thank you Drake, that will be all," Oliver said. Drake nodded again, then left the office, closing the door behind him.

"Nice place you've got here," Henry began, looking around the room appreciatively.

"What do you want?" Oliver asked shortly, not in the mood for small talk.

"Still haven't changed much I see," Henry said, smiling. "You always did get right to the point."

"Look, I'm not in the mood for games or jokes, just tell me what you want so you can leave," Oliver replied. "I don't want you here when Grace and Annie get home."

"I want the same thing I wanted the first time I was here," Henry said. "I want to try and make things up to you and I want to talk to Elizabeth." Oliver shook his head in disbelief. "You don't believe me," Henry said. It was a statement, not a question.

"Why should I?" Oliver asked, ice in his tone. "I left home almost 30 years ago and I've never heard anything from you since. After Elizabeth was violated, you kicked her out of the house and told her it was her own fault and called her, well I won't even repeat that, instead of supporting her when she needed you most. You drove Peter into the army because he thought that was the only thing he could do to make me proud, instead of telling him that I wanted him to come and live with me. But worse than all of those things put together, you killed Davey because of your own selfishness. So no, I don't believe you and I never will." Oliver was shouting now. He looked down at his father, expecting to see his face contorted with anger, but instead, Henry looked ashamed and unless Oliver was seeing things, there was a tear in the corner of the other man's eye. As Oliver stood, open-mouthed, Henry looked up and the tear slid slowly down his cheek. He didn't bother to wipe it away or try to hide it. Taken aback, Oliver found he had lost his voice, so unexpected was Henry's reaction. Silence stretched between them for a few moments until Henry managed to recover.

"You're right," he said simply. "I was a horrible father. I didn't deserve your mother or any of you kids. Still don't, probably." Oliver didn't know what to say. He had expected an argument or justifications, excuses or angry words. Not agreement, certainly not that. He sat back down in his chair, completely confused as to how to proceed. He could argue, he could yell, rail against his father and the choices he had made, but not if his father wasn't going to argue back. This, remorse, this contrition, Oliver didn't know how to deal with this. But he wasn't about to give in either.

"Why now?" he asked, his voice clipped. "Why wait all this time? If you felt this guilty, if you knew how wrong you were, why didn't you change a long time ago?"

"I don't know," Henry said, shrugging. "Age, I guess. One day I woke up and realized I was an old man, an old man whose life was a complete failure. I was alone, two of my children were dead, one for sure my own fault, the other most likely as well. The other two probably hated me. My wife was gone, maybe that was my fault too, I don't know. I knew I had at least one grandchild I'd never even met, maybe more. I guess I decided I didn't want to die alone." Oliver bristled at this.

"So, you figured you would come and say you were sorry and Elizabeth and I would just welcome you back with open arms?" Oliver asked angrily.

"No," Henry replied. "I most definitely did not expect that, especially not from you. Figured I had to try at least. Thought maybe if I showed you, proved to you I had changed, then maybe you might come around in time."

"Not likely," Oliver said, snorting derisively.

"No, not likely. I always have been a gambling man though, haven't I?" Henry asked, winking at Oliver. Oliver found himself wanting to chuckle, but managed to hold it in. Henry had always been able to charm anyone he wanted to, Oliver wasn't going to let him get off that easily.

"I know what you want from me, but you're not going to get it," Oliver said. "I'm not going to forgive you, too much has happened, my brother is dead because of you. Besides, I don't trust you as far as I could throw you. It's impressive that you managed to stay sober for these two visits but I'm sure it's not an ongoing thing."

"Actually, I haven't had a drink in three years," Henry said proudly. Oliver was once again, struck dumb. The man who couldn't make it until noon before he had a bottle in his hand had been sober for three years? Oliver shook his head as if to clear it. No matter, it didn't change the past.

"Well, if that's true, then congratulations to you," Oliver said. "It doesn't make me change my mind."

"I knew it wouldn't be easy," Henry said, sighing. "I guess I'll just have to prove it to you."

"I'm not sure how you're going to do that exactly," Oliver said. "Since after today, you are no longer welcome in my home." Henry looked up in shock, then a bit of anger came into his eyes.

"Fine, I guess I expected as much," Henry said. "But will you please at least tell me where Elizabeth is?"

"No, I will not," Oliver said. "Now get out of my house." He stood and strode to the door, opening it and gesturing for Henry to leave. The older man got up and walked to the door, but before he left, he looked at Oliver.

"I hope that one day, when you come to the end of your life, that you don't regret this," he said. "Remorse is a terrible burden to bear, Oliver." Henry held Oliver's gaze for a few seconds, then pressed something into his hand before he walked out of the study and down the stairs. Oliver waited until he heard Drake's voice and the front door close before opening the folded piece of paper Henry had given him. On it was simply an address. Oliver read the paper over twice more before crumpling it up and putting it into his pocket, intending to burn it in the fireplace that evening.

* * *

><p>When Grace returned from her shopping trip with Annie, she sent the little girl up to her room to wash for dinner and went in search of Oliver. After searching almost everywhere she could think of, she finally found him in the pool, swimming laps. Grace frowned. Oliver never swam this late in the day unless he was upset about something. Standing at the edge of the pool, she waited until he reached her side and called out to him before he could turn around.<p>

As he came out of the water, she could see that he had been at it for a very long time. He was breathing hard and when he reached her and took her hand, she could feel the wrinkles on his skin.

"Just how long have you been swimming?" she asked, concern on her face.

"I'm not sure," Oliver answered, pausing to take a breath. "What time is it?"

"Nearly dinnertime," Grace said, her frown deepening. Oliver looked surprised for a moment, the covered it quickly with a smile.

"Well, about an hour or so then," he said.

"An hour?" Grace asked, incredulous. "Oliver, what happened?"

"What do you mean?" he replied, trying to look innocent.

"I mean, you don't come down and swim this late in the day, let alone for an hour. Something happened to upset you," she said, crossing her arms in front of her. Oliver looked away.

"I really don't want to talk about it," he said, putting his towel around his neck. "I should go and change for dinner." He picked up the robe he had discarded on a chair and pulled it on. Then he kissed Grace on the cheek and left the pool. Grace sighed and followed, not intending to let him off that easily.

When they reached their room however, Annie was just coming out of hers and she began to chatter to her father all about their shopping trip. By the time she was finished, Grace knew they needed to be getting down to the dining room. She took Annie by the hand and left Oliver to quickly dress in order to join them for dinner. Afterward, Annie talked Oliver into a checker tournament that lasted until well after Annie's bedtime. After finally getting her daughter into bed, Grace slipped into their bedroom, only to find Oliver already asleep, or at least pretending to be.

Grace sighed and picked up the pants Oliver had laid on the end of the bed and walked to the closet to hang them up. As she held them by the cuffs to straighten the creases, something fell from the pocket. Grace bent down and picked it up, realizing it was a crumpled bit of paper. She opened it and straightened it out, but all that was there was an address. Frowning, Grace wondered what it meant and why Oliver would have it in his pocket, not to mention why it was so crumpled that it looked as if he meant to throw it away. Grace took the paper, folded it up and put it in the drawer of her nightstand. Oliver may have escaped talking to her that evening, but she intended to get the bottom of what was bothering him in the morning.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Grace's plans were thwarted once again. Oliver had arisen early and was, Grace presumed, in the office. Grace had overslept and just as she was getting out of bed, Annie burst into the room. It had snowed again the night before and she begged Grace to come outside with her to make a snowman. Annie was so excited, Grace couldn't say no, so after breakfast, the two of them bundled up and made their way outside. They made not just one snowman, but a whole snowman family, father, mother, daughter, and, at Annie's insistence, a baby brother. By the time they came back inside, it was almost lunchtime. With instructions to meet her in the kitchen after she had changed her wet clothes and cleaned up, Grace left Annie in her room and walked across the hall into her own.<p>

As soon as she closed the door, she was grabbed from behind and shrieked in surprise before she felt her husband's lips on her neck.

"Oliver," Grace said gasping, trying to slow her racing heart. "You scared me to death."

"Sorry, darling," he said, chuckling a bit and continuing to kiss her neck. When he reached the spot behind her ear, Grace shuddered.

"Oliver, Annie," she managed to get out, but Oliver just pulled her closer to him.

"Is in the kitchen," he said between kisses. "I asked Mrs. Pugh to keep her busy for a while."

"Oliver!" Grace exclaimed, pulling away and turning to look at him, a fierce blush in her cheeks. Oliver laughed aloud, taking his wife's hand and pulling her back to him.

"Don't worry, your virtue is still intact," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "I told Mrs. Pugh we were working through lunch. She already sent the sandwiches up to the office." He began to kiss her neck again and Grace felt herself losing concentration, but she knew there was something else she should make sure of.

"What if someone comes looking for us?" she asked, sighing as Oliver's hands ran up her back and into her hair. He shook his head against her neck.

"Told everyone we were not to be disturbed unless it was an emergency," he said. "Important deal we need to work on." They both chuckled at this, but Grace knew that there was one other thing, something she had wanted to talk to him about. Something he was trying to distract her from.

"Won't work," she said, her voice shaky and her heart not slowed from its racing at all.

"What?" Oliver asked, moving to her lips now. She kissed him for a long moment, then mumbled against his mouth.

"Distracting me," she said. Oliver pulled away looking insulted and innocent.

"I don't believe I'm doing any such thing," he said, then kissed the hollow of her throat and Grace forgot all about what exactly it was that she meant to talk to him about.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N - Next chapter for you! I am not sure exactly how long this story is going to end up to be, I am writing as I go, but I think we are about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way through. I never expected it to get this long, but rest assured all the characters I've introduced have an integral part to the story. Honestly, this story has taken more twists than I thought it would but that is the way my crazy mind works sometimes! Also, just a reminder that I love to respond to my reviews, especially if you have questions, but I cannot do that if you don't have the private messaging feature enabled in your profile. So if you would like a response, make sure that is on. Thanks to all who have reviewed and enjoy! **

Grace sat contemplating the piece of paper in her hand. It had taken two days, but she had finally gotten Oliver to tell her about his father's most recent visit. After he had told her about the address his father had given him, he went and searched his pants pockets for it, but assumed he had dropped it somewhere when he was unable to find it. Grace wasn't exactly sure why she had kept quiet about having the address, but something told her that it was important. She didn't like keeping things from Oliver and she had every intention of telling him, eventually.

Grace did not agree with Oliver about keeping his father's visits from Elizabeth. She felt Elizabeth should be able to make up her own mind whether she wanted to see him or not. They had argued about it, but Oliver was adamant. Grace knew he still felt guilty about everything that had happened to Elizabeth and that he thought he was protecting her. And Grace understood that things between Elizabeth and her father had been ugly in the end, she wouldn't blame Elizabeth if she never wanted to see the man again. But the choice should not be made for her.

Grace bit her lip, thinking. She wished she had been able to talk to Henry herself, find out if he really was sincere or he had some other agenda. She wouldn't want Elizabeth to walk into something she wasn't expecting. Grace glanced down at the paper in her hand again. Well, why not, she thought to herself. She had the address, she could talk to Henry herself and then decide if she should call Elizabeth or not. Oliver would be livid if he found out, but he hadn't wanted her to go back and talk to Elizabeth when they were in Boston either and look how well that had turned out, Grace reasoned. Determined, she put the address back in her nightstand and went to the office to find Oliver.

The two of them worked until lunch. Instead of going down to the dining room, Grace had Drake bring up their lunch to the office. As they were finishing eating, Grace looked up at Oliver.

"Oliver, I was thinking of doing some shopping tomorrow," Grace began.

"Oh?" Oliver said, continuing to look over the report he had in his hand.

"Yes, when I took Annie last week, I really wasn't able to get much for the baby. And we do need to start organizing the nursery," Grace continued.

"All right, have the Asp drive you after he gets back from taking the girls to school," Oliver said, still concentrating on the report.

"I was thinking I could drive the girls to school and then just make a day of it," Grace said. "I'm not sure how long it will take and you have that meeting after lunch at the bank. I wouldn't want the Asp to be waiting around for me all day. I could just pick the girls up when I'm finished." Grace paused, taking a sip of her tea. She forced her hands to remain steady on her cup and gave Oliver a small smile when he glanced up at her.

"You really think it will take the entire day?" he asked, clearly incredulous. Grace chuckled.

"Well, babies need quite a few things," Grace said. "And I need some new clothes as well." She gestured to her expanding midsection. "I only picked up a few things when I was out with Annie and nothing really fits me anymore." She scowled and then sighed as if in resignation. Oliver rose and sat down next to her on the sofa. He put an arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

"You're always beautiful to me," he said, smiling at her. "All right, well, you go and do your shopping then. Annie will be delighted that you are taking her to school." He kissed her cheek and then got up and went back to his desk, taking his file of papers with him. Grace stacked their lunch dishes back on the tray and stood to carry it back to the kitchen. As she stepped into the hall, guilt washed over her. Although, she thought, as she made her way to the kitchen, she fully intended to do some shopping once she had completed her other errand, so it wasn't a complete lie. Grace shook her head, no use trying to justify it, she was lying to Oliver, plain and simple. She only hoped he would understand once he found out.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Grace dropped the girls off at school as planned. Then, instead of heading back downtown to shop, she drove the opposite way out of the city. She had studied a map the night before and found that Henry lived in a small town about twenty minutes outside the city. Once in town, Grace stopped at a small store to ask directions to Henry's house. Ten minutes later, she found herself on a narrow, winding dirt road that led her into the heart of the woods. Grace was grateful the snow had all nearly melted in the last week, she knew she never would have gotten here otherwise.<p>

The house was not a house at all, but a small cabin set in a clearing on the edge of the woods. A stack of firewood stood against one side and a rusty bicycle sat propped against it. An empty flowerpot sat near the front door, but the cabin looked well-kept. She sat in her car, contemplating what she would say when she went to the door. But she didn't have long to think about it, for only a few seconds later the front door opened and a man stood in the doorway. As Grace stepped from the car and approached the cabin, she was again struck by the similarities in appearance between Oliver and his father. They were nearly the same height, Oliver being only an inch or so taller. They had the same build and eyes, the only thing Oliver seemed to have inherited from his mother was his facial structure. Henry's was more angular and sharp.

"Who are you?" Henry asked with a scowl, his arms crossed in front of him as Grace reached the door.

"Hello, I'm Grace," Grace said, extending her hand to him. "Grace Warbucks." Henry ignored her hand and stared at her for a few seconds before scowling once more.

"You're Oliver's wife?" he asked and Grace nodded. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you, if that's all right," Grace said, smiling. Henry shrugged, but did not move from the doorway. "May I come in?" Grace asked. Henry stared at her for moment, then moved aside and gestured into the house. "Thank you," Grace said and walked in as he closed the door behind her.

Henry walked past her into what looked like the only room in the cabin. A bed was pushed against the wall in the corner and a large fireplace dominated the wall in front of her. A sofa sat in front of the fireplace and a small table with two chairs stood opposite the door. It wasn't until she neared the sofa that Grace noticed a doorway which led into a very small kitchen. Henry stood watching her as she took in the room.

"Small, but since it's only me," Henry shrugged again.

"It's very nice," Grace said politely.

"You might as well sit," Henry said, pointing to the sofa. "I was just about to make some tea."

"Tea would be lovely, thank you," Grace said. She pulled off her coat and draped it across the back of the sofa before sitting down. Henry went into the small kitchen and she heard cupboards opening and dishes rattling before the shrill whistle of a tea kettle. He came out a few minutes later with two cups of tea. Handing one to Grace, he sat down on the other end of the couch and simply stared at her for a few minutes.

"Oliver know you're here?" he finally asked and Grace started a bit. This hadn't been the first question she had expected. She took a sip of her tea before answering.

"No, as a matter of fact, he doesn't," she said, frowning a bit.

"Didn't think so, not after the way we left things the other day," Henry replied, smirking a bit. "So, my son doesn't want you here, but yet you came anyway. Must want something awfully bad." Grace narrowed her eyes at him, starting to understand just why Oliver wanted nothing to do with this man.

"I don't want anything," she said coldly. "I simply came because I don't think Oliver should make decisions for Elizabeth." Before she could continue, Henry interrupted.

"You know where Elizabeth is?" he asked, his face no longer smug, but hopeful. Grace was taken aback by this sudden change in demeanor and didn't answer right away.

"Yes, I know where she is," Grace said eventually. "We speak quite regularly." Henry let out a breath in what sounded like relief.

"I wasn't sure if Oliver actually knew where she was or he was just making me think that he did," Henry explained. "I didn't think they'd had any contact since Oliver left Liverpool."

"They hadn't," Grace said. "I found Elizabeth shortly before we were married and invited her to our wedding. It was the first time they'd spoken since Oliver left."

"You found her?" Henry asked, clearly surprised.

"Yes," Grace replied, but didn't elaborate.

"How," Henry paused as if unsure if he should ask his question. "How is she?"

"Very well," Grace said. "She's married, has children."

"Children?" he asked.

"Yes, four actually," Grace replied.

"Who, I mean, she didn't marry," Henry broke off, anger on his face, but wariness as well. Grace realized he didn't know if she knew.

"No, she didn't marry _him_," Grace said, disgust in her voice. Henry's eyes widened in understanding.

"So, you know then," he said quietly.

"Yes, I do," Grace said, angry as she thought of Henry's last words to his daughter. "I also know exactly what you did and said when you found out. So tell me just why you think that Oliver should tell you anything he knows about Elizabeth's whereabouts." Henry's shoulders drooped at Grace's statement.

"You're right," he said, shame in his voice. "I don't deserve to know." Grace softened a bit at his tone, but the anger did not entirely leave her. This man had a lot to atone for and if he wanted another chance with his children, a new chance with his grandchildren, he was going to have to convince her that he had truly changed.

"Why did you come here?" Grace asked. "After all this time." Henry sat quietly for a moment, as if lost in thought. Then he sighed and in a motion very reminiscent of Oliver, scrubbed a hand down his face.

"I suppose I should start at the beginning," Henry said. "I grew up on a farm which my father made clear he intended to leave to my older brother. I could work for my brother if I wanted to stay, otherwise I was on my own for a job." Grace looked astonished at this and Henry just snorted derisively. "Yeah, great man, my father. Anyway, I left as soon as I was old enough, determined to make a better life for myself. I met my Ellen shortly after. I fell in love with her the very day I met her. When I convinced her to marry me I swore we would have a perfect life. I would work my way up, I was working for the railroad at the time, and we'd have a nice house, pretty dresses for her, lots of toys for our children. And I was going to be a perfect father, nothing like my own had been. Oh, I had plans, I did, big dreams. Dreams that never came true, but that was my own fault. I know that now." He paused, lost in thought and Grace felt a bit of pity for the man before her. But she was careful not to let it show, she needed to hear the whole story before she made up her mind.

"I wasn't always such a poor excuse for a father. When Oliver and Davey were born, I was so proud. But I was worried too. Davey was so sickly, so tiny, we weren't sure he would make it. There was one night, the boys were 2, we almost lost him. He was so sick and nothing we tried helped. I've never been more scared in my life and I had never felt so guilty. I had a job and I worked hard, but it didn't pay that much. I blamed myself that we lived in such a drafty, run-down place. I had wanted to be in a nicer place by the time we had kids, but they came along a little sooner than we expected. Anyways, that night I was sure that we were going to lose Davey and I couldn't face it, so I left. Went out to a pub and started drinking, didn't get home until dawn. It was the first time I'd ever done that and Ellen was so mad at me when I got home. Davey's fever had broken in the night and he was doing much better. I felt horrible, swore to her and myself that I would never do it again. And I didn't, not for a while anyway." He stopped and glanced up at Grace, but she showed no emotion on her face. He looked away and continued with his story.

"For a few years, things were better. I was working more hours at my job, Davey seemed to be better. He still got sick a lot, but never as seriously as he had that night. Then Ellen found out she was pregnant again. We were doing okay, but another mouth to feed wouldn't help the situation any. Right before Peter was born, I lost my job. We had a little money saved up, I had wanted to move us into a bigger flat, nicer you know? But we ended up using all of the money for food. I got odd jobs here and there, but nothing ended up to be permanent. I started going out the pubs at night, just for a pint or two, hoping to get some news on possible jobs. I thought about signing up with a freighter but I couldn't leave Ellen for such long periods of time. I told myself that it was because Ellen needed help with the kids, but that wasn't it. She could have handled the kids by herself, she was a great mum, but I would have missed her too much. Coward, huh?" he said, looking ruefully at Grace. Grace remembered what Elizabeth had said about her parents when her mother got sick. How much they seemed to love each other and how devoted her father had been through it all. Grace shook her head.

"No, I know how you must have felt," she said quietly, thinking of having to spend any significant time away from Oliver and Annie.

"Well, then, I'd say my son got pretty lucky," Henry said, smiling shyly at Grace, a smile she returned. "Where was I? Oh right, the freighter. Well I kept up with the odd jobs and Ellen started taking in some sewing and mending. Between the two of us, we scraped by. Then Elizabeth came along. Oh she was the prettiest little girl you ever did see, almost the spitting image of my Ellen. I was so taken with her, right from the beginning. But, if anything, it made me feel more guilty. Little girls should have pretty dresses and baby dolls, things that I could not afford to give her. Those nights at the pub became more frequent and those one or two pints turned into four or five until I was spending most every night there. Which made me feel more guilty because I was spending our money almost as fast as we made it. Ellen took in laundry besides the sewing and even little Oliver started offering to carry groceries or deliver packages for the ladies that lived a few miles up the road. He was 7 years old for god's sake and already out working. The more guilt I felt, the more I drank, and then I felt guiltier, so I drank more. And it just went on and on. One of the men at the pub introduced me to cards and I was pretty good at it right off. So I started betting, thinking I could make my money back and then some. I thought I finally found a way to support my family. I did pretty well for a bit, but I got greedy. The more I won, the more I bet and eventually I lost it all. I never knew when to stop, never knew when to cash out and go home. Pretty soon, it was all I knew, the drinking, the gambling, coming home to sleep it off and then going back out and doing it the next night."

Grace shook her head. No wonder Oliver was so bitter. She couldn't blame him, working to help support his family since he was 7? She knew what she had come here for, but all she wanted to do now was run as far and as fast as she could.

"I know what you're thinking," Henry said, bringing Grace back from her thoughts. "I'm a horrible person, poor excuse for a father, worth less than a bug you'd as soon step on. And you're right, I was all those things. I have no excuse for it, I won't try to make one or make you understand because I really don't understand myself. I had everything, a wife that loved me, four beautiful children that I should have done everything in my power to protect, a roof over my head, even if it wasn't the best or the nicest roof. And I threw all of it away, all of it, over and over again. I ruined five other lives besides my own and for that there is no excuse." He stopped and looked up at Grace, the shame and guilt on his face taking her breath away. It reminded her so much of the way Oliver had looked that night in the pantry that Grace reached out a hand to Henry before remembering who he actually was and taking it back again.

"There's just a bit more to tell, really. If Davey hadn't gotten sick again, things might have turned out differently. Oliver was no longer speaking to me by then and it was like a knife through my heart every time I went home. I had a bad feeling that Ellen was thinking of leaving me, taking the children and going to London to her parents. I had decided I was done with all of it, the drinking, the cards. A friend of mine had given me a real lead on a good job and I was going to go home and tell Ellen. When I got home that night, the doctor was there. Davey had pneumonia and the only thing that might help was the medicine. Even that wasn't a guarantee, the doctor said that Davey was already so weak that he wasn't sure if he would get any better even with the medicine. Ellen looked at me and didn't even bother to ask me for money, she knew I didn't have any. Oliver stormed out after that. I told her I was going after him, but instead I went back to the pub and got dealt into a game. I was up for a while, but then I lost and I kept losing. Pretty soon I was so far in the hole, that it was all I could do to break even, there was no way I would get ahead again. When I finally went home, three days later, Davey was gone and Ellen was yelling at Oliver. He looked at me when I opened the door and I have never seen such a look of disgust. I found out that he had been working at the docks to try and make enough money for the medicine and I realized then that my 10 year-old son was more of a man than I was. I left and I don't think I was sober again for ten years."

"When Ellen got Oliver's letter," Grace said.

"Yes, I couldn't lose them, so I stopped drinking, for a bit anyway. And then I lost them all anyway," he said.

"What you said, to Elizabeth that day," Grace began and Henry shook his head ruefully. "You claim to love her, how could you say such things?" Grace's face revealed the revulsion she felt, she knew, but she couldn't help it.

"I don't know," Henry replied. "After Ellen died, I was lost. Well, more lost than usual. Even with all the drinking and the gambling, I still came home every night. That 3 day binge when we lost Davey was the only time I hadn't. I came home to her, my Ellen. When she was gone, I lost my anchor. And Elizabeth, she looked so much like her, acted so much like her, it just made it hurt more when I saw her. So I stayed away as much as I could." He paused, looking unseeingly into the fireplace.

"That night, the night she told me, I don't know what happened. It was like everything I hoped for my family, everything I hoped I could do better than my father, everything I always thought I would give them, it was all gone. I knew Elizabeth had been working and she was doing well, I was proud of her, I really was. And now, it was gone, she had no future, even if it wasn't her fault." He nodded in response to Grace's questioning look. "I never thought it was her fault, not once."

"I don't know what happened, I just snapped. I took my guilt out on her, I guess. The next morning I realized what I had done and I knew I had to make it up to her. I figured Mrs. Shaw had taken her in, so I went across the hall, but she was gone. I got an earful from Mrs. Shaw," he chuckled. "But I couldn't find her. I even went down to her office, but they were packing everything up, no one knew where she was. I failed her, just like I failed everyone else." He trailed off, lost in thought. The two of them sat in silence for a minute, until Grace spoke again.

"Why now?" Grace asked.

"There comes a time in a man's life when he takes stock, looks back and sees what he's done. Mine happened the day I turned 60," Henry said. "When I looked back at my life, I didn't like what I saw. In fact I was horrified by what I saw. I'd lost all the people that I loved, all because of my own selfishness. And I thought of what Ellen must think of me, having driven away the last two children I had left." Henry paused and shook his head and Grace was surprised to see a tear fall down his cheek.

"My father died with a lot of regrets, I know that. I didn't want to end up like him, I wanted to try and make things up to my children, know my grandchildren. I stopped drinking that day and a drop hasn't crossed my lips since, three whole years and I haven't so much as looked at a deck of cards either. I worked and saved up my money until I had enough for the passage and then some. I found Oliver pretty quickly, it wasn't too hard, he is in the papers quite often, after all." Henry smiled and Grace chuckled. No, Oliver wasn't a hard man to find.

"I found this place and bought it, cheap. I can hunt in the woods here and I'll have a garden come spring. I have money still for other incidentals and I do some odd jobs for some of the folks around here, repairs and the like. There are quite a few cabins up here in the woods, I look after some of them for the owner's when they're not here." Henry shrugged. "It's not the life that Oliver and you have, I'm sure, but I'm content enough. The only thing that could make my life better is if I could have a place in Oliver and Elizabeth's lives."

"Mr. Warbucks," Grace began, but Henry held up a hand.

"Henry, please," he said and she nodded.

"Henry," she said. "I know what you want, but I'm afraid that you may be disappointed. Oliver is still very angry about what happened all those years ago. But more than that is the guilt he still carries about it. At some point he got it into his head that his siblings were his responsibility, that he should have been able to save Davey and prevent what happened to Elizabeth and keep Peter out of the army. He has gotten much better since Annie came into our lives, but I have to tell you that I blame you for that guilt. He shouldn't have had to take on such a responsibility at such a young age." Henry opened his mouth to say something, but Grace shook her head and he remained silent.

"It's colored his life in ways you can't even know. He's known as a ruthless business man and that happened because he put such a case around his heart, he wouldn't let anyone in or let himself feel anything for anyone. Part of that is good, it helped him succeed and get him where he is today, but it also made him many enemies. Things have changed in the last 6 months, but that's due to Annie," Grace said. Before she could continue, Henry spoke.

"From what I've seen and heard since you got here, I'd say it's due a lot to you as well," he said, winking at her. Grace blushed.

"Well, that may be true, but my point is I think you are hoping for things that will never happen," she finished.

"Grace, everything you say is true. And I can sit here and tell you my problems were caused by the drinking or the gambling or my own self-doubt, but the truth is those would just be more excuses. Everything that happened, everything I did or didn't do, was my own fault. I made my choices and they weren't the right ones. And I know that I've now suffered the consequences of those choices. My children may never forgive me, they may never speak to me again and if that's the case, that's on my own head. But if I don't try, if I don't at least ask, I know that come the day I take my last breath, the last thought I'd have before I left this earth would be what if?" Henry sat in silence, looking at Grace. Hope and fear mingled in his eyes, but there was something else. A fierce determination, a look Grace had seen time and again in Oliver's eyes and in Elizabeth's as well. If nothing else, Grace believed that Henry was sincere, that he had to try. And she made up her mind to try and help him.

"I'll talk to Elizabeth," she said and the tears welled in Henry's eyes. "Don't get your hopes up, I'm simply going to tell her that you are here in the States and that you would like to speak with her if she's willing. I'm not going to tell you where she is because I think she needs to make the decision herself, not be ambushed as Oliver was." She gave Henry a bit of a glare and he looked away, sheepish. "You don't have a phone, I'm guessing," Grace said, glancing around the room again.

"No, but she can write to me. I don't get mail up here, but I can give you the address of the store in town, she can send it there. I go down at least once a week, weather permitting. They'll hold any mail for me." Henry got up and took a piece of paper and a stub of a pencil and wrote the address for Grace. She took it and put it in her purse, then stood and picked up her coat.

"Well, I really should be going, I need to do some shopping in the city before I pick up the girls from school," Grace said, slipping her coat on.

"Girls?" Henry asked. "I thought you just had the one."

"Oh, yes, Annie is our only daughter, well so far anyway," she said, putting a hand to her belly absentmindedly. "Molly is our gardener's daughter, she attends school with Annie."

"You're expecting?" Henry asked.

"Oh, yes, in May actually," Grace replied, realizing what she had just said.

"Congratulations," Henry said, smiling widely.

"Thank you," Grace replied, smiling herself, then saddening at the thought that this child might never know his grandfather. She began to walk to the door, Henry following behind. When they reached it, Henry opened it for her, then walked her to her car. Before she got in, he put a hand to her arm.

"Grace, thank you for coming to see me, despite what Oliver thinks," Henry said, genuine gratitude in his voice. He stood looking at her for a moment, then dropped his hand, running it over the top of his head nervously.

"You're welcome," Grace said. "But just remember, don't get your hopes up. I don't think I'll be back again." He sighed and nodded.

"I understand," he said. "But when you do tell Oliver you were here, can you do me one favor?"

"All right," Grace said.

"Please tell him that I'm sorry I made him grow up so fast and tell him that it's the one thing I regret almost as much as I regret killing his brother." And with that, Henry turned and quickly made his way back into the house, leaving Grace standing open-mouthed next to her car. The slam of the cabin door brought her back to her senses and as she got into her car and began her drive back into the city, tears began to roll down her cheeks. Tears for the little boy who never really got to be little and for the other who never got to grow up at all.

* * *

><p>While she had done quite a bit of shopping after all, there were many packages stowed in the trunk of the car and still more that would be delivered to the house later in the week, Grace was still subdued when she picked the girls up from school. Their excited chatter in the back seat, however, washed over her like a balm and soon she was laughing along with them. When they reached the house, Punjab was there to help her from the car and Drake and Saunders began pulling the packages from the trunk. Oliver had not arrived home from his meeting at the bank yet, for which Grace was grateful. She sent the girls off to the kitchen for their snack and told Annie to begin on her homework when she was finished. Today was Cecile's afternoon off, she would be waiting in the kitchen for Molly. Grace went into the office and sat down in Oliver's desk chair, pulling the phone towards her as she took off her shoes and stretched her aching feet. She took the piece of paper Henry had given her out of her purse and stared at it for a moment. She knew she needed to do this now, before Oliver got home, so she picked up the phone and dialed Elizabeth's number.<p>

Twenty minutes later, Grace hung up the phone, feeling emotionally drained from the events of the day. She moved to the sofa and stretched out, replaying the conversation with Elizabeth in her mind. Elizabeth had been shocked and then angry, both of which Grace had expected. And then she had cried, something Grace had not expected. Grace had tried to comfort her, difficult over the phone, but eventually Elizabeth had calmed down and thanked Grace. Grace had no idea if she intended to contact Henry or not, but Grace had done her part and was glad that she had. Now she just had to figure out a way to tell Oliver.

* * *

><p>Oliver walked into his office a half an hour later to find Grace asleep on the sofa. He gently shook her awake. She opened her eyes and smiled, shifting over so he could sit down beside her.<p>

"Sorry, shopping tired me out I guess," she said.

"So I see," Oliver said smiling. He took her hand and kissed the back of it. "Did you get everything you needed?" Grace nodded.

"The nursery furniture will be delivered later this week and I bought myself a new wardrobe," she smiled and Oliver chuckled.

"Good, good. Now, why don't you tell me where else you went today? I know you did more than shop." Grace looked at him, her eyes wide.

"How, how did you know that?" she asked, incredulous.

"My dear, I know you much better than you think I do," Oliver chuckled. "No matter how many things you or the baby needed, you wouldn't spend an entire day shopping. So what other mystery errand did you go on? Or is it a surprise?" he asked, grinning widely. Grace smiled back, but it was weak. Oliver noticed and his grin vanished, replaced by a look of puzzlement. Grace pulled herself up to a sitting position and turned to Oliver, taking hold of his hands.

"Promise me that you won't be angry," she said, biting her lip.

"You can't expect me to promise that when you start off a sentence that way," Oliver said. "That all but guarantees I will be angry." Grace sighed. This was not how she had planned to tell him, but now she had no choice. So she straightened her shoulders and looked him in the eye.

"I went to see your father," she said, quietly.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N - All right, next chapter. We're coming up towards the end now and I have to warn you that this chapter is probably the last without a cliffie for a while, if not until the very end. Sorry about that, just how it's going to be! I have a good bit of the next part written up, I actually wrote it way back at the beginning of the story. Seems to be a habit I have! Anyway, that may mean that I will get up the next few chapters more often than once a week, but I do have to add some more as well as proof them over again, so we'll see. Enjoy! **

Oliver sat in silence for a moment, sure he had misheard.

"My father," he said. Grace nodded. "You went to see him." Grace nodded again. "How did you even know where to find him?"

"I was hanging up your pants the other night, you had left them lying on the bed, and the paper with his address fell out. I didn't know what it was at first, I was going to give it back to you, but then I forgot about it until you told me about your father visiting. I was going to tell you I had it, but then I thought," Grace trailed off, looking up at Oliver, but he wasn't looking at her. Oliver sat for another moment, then got up and began pacing the room. Grace had found the address, not told him about it and then gone to seen his father, after he had made it more than clear that he wanted nothing to do with the man. And then she had the audacity to ask him not to be angry. Well, he wasn't angry, he was livid. He stopped his pacing and turned back to look at Grace where she still sat on the sofa. She didn't even look sorry, she sat ramrod straight with a look of almost, defiance, on her face. Oliver took a deep breath. He was well aware that Annie was in the kitchen finishing her homework and that she would come and seek them out the moment she was through. This could not dissolve into a screaming match. He sat back down on the sofa, although not looking at Grace.

"Why?" was the only word he uttered. He heard Grace take in a breath, then let it out again before she answered.

"You know I didn't agree with you about not telling Elizabeth he was here," she said quietly. "So I thought I would go and talk to the man myself, decide if he had the right to know where she was."

"The right?" Oliver said tightly. "The right? That man lost all rights to anything to do with Elizabeth the moment he opened his mouth that night. I can't believe, after what you know that you would want to give him a chance." Grace said nothing for a moment, Oliver was sure that she was trying to keep herself calm just as he was.

"Oliver, I know that you still feel guilty, that your need to protect Elizabeth is almost as strong as your need to protect Annie and me, but she has a right to know. She's a grown woman, it's her choice," Grace insisted.

"And you're the one who just gets to decide that? You don't know anything about this Grace, it's not your place!" Oliver insisted, jumping up from the sofa, his voice rising.

"I don't know anything? Who is the one that Elizabeth poured her heart out to that night on the porch? Who is the one that had to tell **you** about it? Who is the one who was in that pantry with you the night you talked about Davey and your guilt? Who Oliver? It was me, so don't sit there and tell me that I don't know anything about this!" Grace stood as well, her hands on her hips. As much as she tried to keep herself calm, she could feel herself losing the battle as her voice began to rise. "As to it not being my place, that may be true, but it's not any more your place than it is mine. She has the right to know!" Oliver didn't even bother trying to take a breath, he was seething and had no intention of trying to calm down.

"So you told him then? Told him where she is so he can go and just walk up and ring her doorbell like he did mine? Did you think at all how she would feel about that? Or were you too busy with your own agenda to think about anyone else?" Oliver yelled. Grace opened her mouth to respond, she was angrier at Oliver than she had ever been, but before she could say anything, there was a soft knock at the door. Both Oliver and Grace startled and looked at each other.

"Who is it?" Oliver called out gruffly. The doorknob slowly turned and Annie peeked into the room.

"It's me," she said, her voice shaky. All the fight went out of Grace the instant she saw her daughter's face. She held out her arms and Annie ran into them, clearly upset at the loud voices she had heard outside the door. Grace sighed and sat back down on the sofa, snuggling Annie into her side. Oliver turned and strode to his desk, resting his hands on it with his back to the sofa, trying to get himself under control. When he turned back, he saw Annie's face buried in Grace's shoulder, Grace rubbing her back and rocking her. Annie's arm that was wrapped around Grace's neck was trembling and the remains of Oliver's anger melted away, changing to shame that he had scared his daughter. His eyes met Grace's over the top of Annie's head and he could tell that she felt the same way. He watched as a tear slid down Grace's cheek before he went to the sofa and sat down beside the two of them.

"Annie, are you all right?" he asked softly and Annie let go of Grace to turn and peer up at him.

"Why were you yelling at each other?" Annie asked, her lower lip quivering and her eyes bright. "Don't you, don't you love each other anymore?" Grace gasped and Oliver looked shocked.

"Oh sweetheart, of course we do," Grace said quickly. "Your father and I were just having a disagreement, that's all."

"That's right," Oliver agreed. "Don't you argue with Molly sometimes?"

"Yes, but, not like that. You sounded so mad," Annie said, her voice shaky once again, the lip still quivering.

"I'm sorry Annie, we didn't mean to frighten you," Grace said, hugging the little girl again.

"I'm sorry too," Oliver said. "Your mother and I just let our emotions get the best of us. It happens sometimes." Annie looked between the two of them, then hugged them both.

"Are you still mad at each other?" she asked. Oliver looked at Grace and Grace smiled sadly knowing what his answer would be. Oliver looked back down at Annie and smiled.

"I don't know if mad would be the right word, but there are still a few things we need to discuss," he said. "Isn't it about time for your lesson with the Asp?" Annie nodded. "Well, why don't you go and do that and your mother and I will finish up here." Annie looked at the two of them warily.

"I promise there won't be any more yelling," Oliver said, holding up his hand as if swearing on it.

"Okay," Annie said. "But, I'll come back here right after?"

"Yes, dear, then we can go down to dinner together," Grace said. Annie got up and walked out of the room, giving her parents another look as she shut the door behind her. Grace sighed and put her head in her hands when Annie had left.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have," Oliver began, but Grace interrupted him.

"No, it's my fault, you have every right to be angry with me," Grace said, looking over at him.

"Maybe so, but I shouldn't have gotten as upset as I did," Oliver said.

"Perhaps not, but I shouldn't have gone without telling you. I am sorry," she continued.

"As if I would have let you go if I had known," Oliver snorted.

"Well that's probably true," Grace agreed, smiling. "But, Oliver, I didn't tell him where Elizabeth is." Oliver looked up startled.

"You didn't?" he asked.

"Of course not," she said. "I wouldn't do that to her, not after everything she's been through. I told Henry as much."

"Oh, well, that's good then," Oliver said.

"But," Grace began, then paused.

"But?" Oliver questioned.

"I did call Elizabeth and tell her he was here. I gave her an address where she could write him, if she chooses to," Grace continued. Oliver took a deep breath, feeling the anger coming back.

"Grace," he began, shaking his head. Grace reached out and took one of his hands.

"Oliver, she has the right to know," Grace said quietly. She rubbed her thumb in small circles on the back of his hand, not letting him pull away from her.

"How did she take it?" he asked.

"She was shocked and then angry, at first. Then she cried," Grace said, looking up at him.

"Cried?" Oliver asked, surprised.

"Yes, I was a bit surprised myself by that, but Oliver, no matter what happened between them, she still loves him. I think that she was more relieved to know what had happened to him than anything," Grace said.

"Do you think she'll contact him?" Oliver asked.

"I think so, eventually," Grace said. Oliver harrumphed. "She doesn't have the same baggage with him as you do."

"Maybe not," Oliver said quietly.

"Oliver, there's something else, something I promised Henry I would tell you," Grace said hesitantly. She got the reaction she had expected. Oliver jumped up from the sofa, his face red, hands fisted.

"I don't want to hear anything that man has to say," he thundered.

"Oliver," Grace admonished. "Remember what you told Annie."

"Fine," Oliver said through gritted teeth. "I won't yell, but I don't want to hear it Grace."

"Please," she said.

"What is it?" Oliver asked, defeated.

"He wanted me to tell you that he regrets making you grow up so fast, that he regrets it almost as much as," Grace stopped, her breath hitching. "Almost as much as he regrets killing your brother." The tears were shining in her eyes when she looked back up at Oliver. Oliver stood staring at her, incredulous.

"He said that?" Oliver asked and Grace nodded. "Those exact words? He said he killed my brother?" Grace nodded again, unable to speak. Oliver still stood in the middle of the room looking stunned. Grace got up and went to him, wrapping her arms around him. Oliver returned the embrace for a few minutes before pulling back from her.

"That's the first time he's ever said that," Oliver said quietly and Grace could hear the slight shakiness of his voice. "I mean, he said it was his fault when he was here the other day, but it was just words to me. He's never actually said that he killed him before."

"Oliver," Grace said, very gently. "He told me that the doctor said that there was a good chance that Davey wouldn't have survived, even with the medicine. That his body was just too weak and the medicine might not have made any difference. Did you know that?" Oliver simply nodded.

"But I couldn't give up on him Grace," Oliver insisted.

"I know that darling, I know," Grace soothed. "Do you know where your father went after you left that night?"

"Probably to go drown himself in drink like he did every night," Oliver said, disdain in his voice.

"No, he didn't," Grace said. "He did go to a pub, yes, but it was to play cards. He was trying to get the money to save Davey too."

"If he wanted to get the money, he could have come with me to the docks. We could have both worked, gotten the money twice as fast. Maybe we could have saved him," Oliver said angrily. "But instead, he went and gambled everything away, just like always."

"Oliver, I'm not trying to excuse what he did and you're right, he could have gone with you instead," Grace said. "I just wanted you to know that he did try, even if it wasn't in the right way. He loved Davey too." Oliver looked as if he were going to protest, but instead just shrugged his shoulders and pulled Grace tighter against him.

"Do you remember what I've said to you about guilt and letting go?" Grace asked, her voice a bit muffled by Oliver's shoulder. He nodded. "Anger is the same, it will eat you alive as sure as guilt will if you don't let it go." She tightened her hold on her husband and the two of them stood there for quite a long time before Oliver pulled back to look at her. He ran a thumb down her cheek and cupped her chin, kissing her softly. Then he took her hand and led her back to the sofa, wrapping an arm around her and resting her head on his shoulder. While they waited for Annie to return, Grace knew that while he hadn't said anything, his actions meant he would think about what she said. It was enough, for now.

* * *

><p>The next few weeks passed by rather uneventfully. Grace and Oliver both spoke to Elizabeth and discovered that she had indeed written to Henry. Although Oliver still refused to have anything to do with his father, he was willing to listen to what he had to say to Elizabeth. Something which Grace felt signified that, for all his bluster, Oliver was curious about his father and his intentions. Grace said nothing more than she had that afternoon in the office, knowing that her meddling would just steel Oliver's resolve even further. Still, she felt it was only a matter of time before Oliver wanted to speak to Henry himself.<p>

February blew in cold and snowy and the little family spent much of their time at home simply enjoying each other's company. Oliver and Annie had begun a weekly ritual, one that Grace hoped they would continue even after the baby's birth. It began one week in early February. The three of them had intended to go out to dinner and then a movie, but Grace came down with a bad cold and elected to stay home. Oliver and Annie went without her and, at Grace's urging, the two continued with their weekly date from then on. Remembering the conversation Pepper had had with Annie at her birthday party, Grace thought time with Oliver would help Annie feel more comfortable with her place in the family, even after the baby arrived.

So far, Annie had shown nothing but enthusiasm about the impending arrival of her new sibling. Once the nursery furniture had been delivered, Annie had helped Grace organize the room and fold all the diapers and clothes Grace had bought. Grace was intending to take Annie shopping with her in the next week or two, so Annie could choose something to give the baby once he or she was born. Annie was still calling the baby "he" whenever she spoke about it and Grace did the same out of deference to Annie, but Grace was unsure if Annie would get her wish. Grace changed her mind almost daily as to whether she thought the baby was a boy or a girl and never seemed to have that "feeling" that so many other women claimed to have about the gender of her coming child.

"Don't worry," Helen had told her one afternoon when Grace sat with Annie while Annie ate her after-school snack. "I thought for sure that my second was a girl, wouldn't even discuss boy's names. Imagine my surprise when he made his appearance." Helen chuckled. "Even if they say otherwise, not everyone 'knows'."

* * *

><p>February passed rather quickly and March came in like the proverbial lion, blanketing the city in a heavy snowfall that lasted all weekend. Strangely enough, the snow had all melted by the following week and spring seemed to arrive immediately afterward. Trees began to bud out and flowers poked up from the ground as the air turned warmer and the sun shone brighter.<p>

Grace was in an exceptionally good mood one morning as she made her way to the office after Annie's departure for school. Despite her rapidly expanding middle and the bouts of fatigue she was constantly weathering, she felt rather light and almost graceful again. Which, given the size of her belly, was actually quite a feat. As she entered the office, however, her mood went from cheerful to concerned, as she took in the sight of Oliver at his desk.

He had the phone in his hand, listening intently to whoever was on the other end. His brow was furrowed and his lips pursed, as the frown on his face seemed to deepen with each passing moment. For a minute, he didn't even notice her arrival, glancing up sharply as Grace closed the door with a quiet click. He nodded quickly to her as she went and sat behind her desk across the room, continuing his conversation.

"All right, thanks for letting me know George. Keep me updated as to your progress." Oliver said and then hung up the phone. He propped his elbows on his desk and closed his eyes, massaging his temples with his fingertips. Then he let out a deep sigh and leaned back in his chair, eyes still closed.

"Oliver, what is it?" Grace asked worriedly.

"I should have closed that damn factory like I wanted to in the first place," Oliver replied, not opening his eyes. "It's caused me nothing but grief for the last nine months."

"What happened now?" Grace asked, rising and walking to wear Oliver sat. She stood behind him and began to rub his shoulders. He opened his eyes and looked up at her, giving her a weak smile.

"The production line went down again, something wrong with the machine. George thought it would be an easy fix, but when they opened it up, it was something entirely different. He's going to have to order the parts and they'll probably take a week at least to get there," Oliver said sounding tired. "We'll have to shut down until it's fixed, then work overtime to catch back up to our orders. Not to mention the cost of the parts."

"Are they thinking sabotage again?" Grace asked, her thoughts immediately turning to William Bennett. They had heard nothing about his whereabouts since Oliver met with him before Christmas and so far he seemed to have stuck with the bargain he made with Oliver. But Grace didn't trust him not to go back on his word.

"That's the first thing I asked, but George didn't think so. I upped the security since I bought Bennett out and this looks just like a simple breakdown," Oliver said, sighing again. Grace stopped her ministrations on his shoulders and wrapped her arms around his neck, bending down to rest her chin on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, darling," she said, kissing his cheek. He reached up and patted her arm.

"Well, not much we can do about it, I suppose," he said disentangling himself from Grace's embrace and standing up to hug her, a somewhat difficult feat. He kissed her and then sat back down at his desk, pulling out a sheaf of papers and flipping through them. Grace sighed and turned back to her desk to finish typing the letter she had started the day before.

* * *

><p>The factory was up and running again eight days later and the crisis seemed to have passed. The unseasonably warm weather drew the children outside almost every afternoon and Grace could often be found sitting on the terrace laughing, as she watched Annie and Molly run around the yard chased by Sandy. Grace had asked Mrs. Greer to teach her to knit and she was trying to make the baby a sweater and matching cap to wear home from the hospital. It was a slow and often frustrating process and Grace threw down the needles and yarn as she once again realized she had dropped a stitch somewhere and needed to pull out the last row she had just finished. She heard a chuckle behind her as Oliver walked out onto the terrace.<p>

"Yarn attack you again?" he asked cheekily, remembering back to Grace's question on their honeymoon when he couldn't seem to tie his tie. He bent down and picked up the ball of yarn before it could escape down the terrace stairs and handed it back to her. Grace scowled in response, sticking the needles into the yarn and setting everything on the table beside her. She crossed her arms in front of her and refused to look at Oliver.

"Oh come now, sweetheart, it can't be that bad," Oliver said as he pulled out a chair and sat beside her. Grace just huffed, continuing to watch Annie and Molly on the lawn. Oliver leaned over and kissed her cheek. "The baby won't mind a few dropped stitches, he'll just be pleased his mommy loves him enough to go through all this aggravation for him." He smiled, trying to catch Grace's eye. She continued to pretend to ignore him, but Oliver could see the smirk beginning to form at the corner of her mouth. She quickly pulled her mouth back into a frown and Oliver chuckled again.

"He better appreciate it," Grace groused, rubbing a hand over her belly. "He kicks me so much I'll probably be bruised from the inside out for life. I swear he's doing jumping jacks in there or something, he seems to kick me from both sides at once sometimes." Oliver laughed at this and put his hand on top of hers.

"I'm sure he's thankful," Oliver said, leaning over and putting an arm around her shoulders and kissing her on top of the head. "I know I am." She looked up at him and smiled, then rested her head in the crook of his arm. The two of them watched Annie and Molly play until it was time to go in for dinner.

* * *

><p>The respite from the factory crisis did not last long. The first day of April, Oliver sat in the office signing a few letters Grace had just finished typing when the phone rang. Oliver answered to find George Evans, his foreman at the Pittsburgh factory, on the other end.<p>

"Hello, George," Oliver said, once he had determined who it was. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm afraid I've got some bad news, Mr. Warbucks," George replied. Oliver closed his eyes and shook his head slightly in disbelief.

"What is it this time?" he asked, hoping whatever it was wouldn't cost him as much as the last catastrophe had.

"We're havin' some problems with some of the workers," George began. "There's a group that's been complainin' about the conditions, their wages, the overtime last week, things like that. At first it just seemed like a few guys bellyachin', but it's gotten worse and they're convincin' more and more to join in with them. I told them that they're lucky they got jobs at all, that you coulda closed the factory all together instead of doing that reorganization, but they still complain." Oliver sat in shock for a few seconds then sighed.

"Please tell me this is your idea of an April Fool's joke," Oliver said.

"Wish I could sir," George said. "What do you want me to tell them?"

"Nothing for now," Oliver said. "Let me look at a few things and I'll call you back." Oliver hung up the phone and scrubbed a hand down his face. This was the absolute last thing he wanted to deal with right now. Seeing a trip to Pittsburgh in his immediate future, Oliver began to pull out the latest numbers he had from the factory so he would have all the information in front of him when he talked to George again. He wished again that he had done just as George had mentioned and closed the factory last summer.

Once he had gone over everything and spoken to George again, the two agreed that George would approach the group of workers with the problems and find out exactly what they wanted changed. Oliver hoped he could handle everything through George and not have to make the trip himself. Sometimes, he really hated being the boss.

Oliver went back and forth with George for a week until George told him that everyone had refused to negotiate any further unless Oliver himself was present.

"They're threatenin' to walk out Mr. Warbucks," George had told him during their latest conversation. "There's enough of 'em that it would really hurt production. Maybe shut it down all together. I'm real sorry sir." Oliver sighed, running a hand over his head.

"All right George. I'll need to wrap a few things up here. Tell them I'll be there on Wednesday," Oliver said, even as he began to gather up papers on his desk that he would need to take with him.

"Will do sir, see you in a couple days," George replied, hanging up the phone. Oliver replaced the phone in its cradle and sat silently at his desk. This entire situation made no sense, everything was going smoothly before the machine had broken down last month. Then all of a sudden, all kinds of unrest and dissatisfaction had appeared, seemingly overnight. Oliver had questioned George about William Bennett and his foreman had assured him he had been keeping an eye and ear out, but had heard nothing about Bennett having anything to do with the current situation.

"It can't be helped I guess," Oliver muttered, just as Grace walked into the room.

"What can't be helped?" Grace asked, crossing to his desk.

"I'm going to have to make a trip to Pittsburgh after all," Oliver replied, sighing again. "The employees have refused to deal with me through George anymore. They want me in person. I'm going to leave tomorrow and meet with them on Wednesday."

"Oh, well, I suppose there's no other option," Grace said, not overly enthused about Oliver's trip. He stood and came around the desk to where she was standing. He took her hand and pulled her into his arms.

"I don't want to leave you, not this close to the baby coming," he said, resting his chin on top of her head.

"Oliver, it's still a month away and you're only going to be gone for a day or two," Grace insisted. "Don't worry about us." He pulled back from her and rubbed a hand across her belly.

"I always worry about you," he said, smiling at her. She smiled back and then kissed him.

"Still, we'll be fine," she said. "Let me get some papers together for you and we should probably finish that other report before you leave." Grace walked across the room to her own desk and began looking through a folder on top of it. Oliver watched her, smiling to himself. She found what she wanted and turned back around to see him grinning at her.

"What?" she asked, clearly having expected him to go back to his desk.

"Nothing," he said, still smiling, then crossing the room and taking her in his arms again. He kissed her slowly and Grace dropped the papers she was holding to wrap her arms around his neck. When he finally broke the kiss they were both breathless.

"What was that all about?" she asked. "Not that I'm complaining." She smiled up at him and he laughed.

"Just reminding you how much I love you," he said, grinning back.

"Well remind me some more by picking up those papers I dropped," Grace replied, chuckling. "I can't exactly bend over much anymore."

"Anything for you my dear," Oliver said, kissing the tip of her nose and bending down to gather up the papers. The two then sat down at their respective desks to finish up the work that needed to be done.

* * *

><p>The next afternoon, Oliver stood at the door with his suitcase, waiting for the Asp to get home with the girls so he could take Oliver to the airport. He had decided to fly instead of taking the train, since it was faster. Grace had insisted that both bodyguards accompany Oliver to Pittsburgh, worried about just how upset the group of workers was. George had called back that morning to tell Oliver that he had come to work to find a brick thrown through his office window. Luckily, George had not been in the office at the time. He had arrived late that morning due to the bus he took to work breaking down on the way. Had he been in on time, there was a good chance the brick would have hit him as it came through the window, as it had landed in the middle of his desk.<p>

Grace was visibly shaken after Oliver had relayed the phone call to her and immediately insisted Oliver take both Punjab and the Asp with him. Oliver had protested leaving Grace and Annie alone, but Grace was adamant.

"Hire some of the security we had for the wedding if you're that concerned about Annie and me," Grace had said. "But you are taking both of them with you."

"I don't have much faith in that security," Oliver had replied. During the wedding, one photographer had somehow snuck in through a gap in the hedge and snapped off a few pictures before he was caught.

"Jack has fixed the gap," Grace said. "Besides, we've got Sandy, he wouldn't let anyone into the house." Grace reached down and scratched the dog's ears where he lay on the sofa, as he thumped his tail against the cushions. "Besides, it's you that the workers want there, not me." Oliver had finally agreed, although reluctantly, to take both bodyguards with him.

When the Asp arrived with Molly and Annie, he took Oliver's luggage out to the car, leaving Oliver to say his goodbyes.

"You take good care of your mother while I'm gone, all right?" he said to Annie, giving the little girl a hug.

"Yes, Daddy, I will," Annie assured him, kissing his cheek. "Will you be back by Friday for our date?" The two had plans to see a new movie that week.

"Yes, I should be," Oliver replied, smiling at her. Then he turned to Grace.

"Please be careful and don't go out of the house alone," he said. "Take Drake or Jack with you."

"You worry too much," Grace chuckled, bringing a hand up to his cheek. "I don't have any plans to go anywhere anyway, but I promise." She hugged him and then he kissed her, as Molly and Annie giggled.

"I'll see you Friday," Oliver said, squeezing her hand and then walked out to the car. Grace stood and watched as the car pulled away, her hand rubbing her belly absentmindedly. She turned to the girls and smiled.

"All right, snack time, isn't it?" she asked as the girls nodded and ran to the kitchen, Grace following behind, her mind still on Oliver, hoping that he was going to be all right.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N - Got another chapter done, a few days early for you all! Like I said last chapter, prepare yourself for cliffies, as there will be quite a few from here on out. I'm thinking another 5 or so chapters after this one, but I don't have everything written out yet, so I'm not positive on that. My goal is to have this story finished by the end of the month, so cross your fingers I can get out more than one chapter a week. Not sure if I will have the next one up on Monday, there is still a fair bit of it left to write and my weekend is going to be a bit busy. But, I'll get it up as soon as I can! **

On Wednesday, Grace kept busy while Annie was at school, taking care of some other business that she had been neglecting while getting things ready for Oliver's trip to Pittsburgh. When Annie got home, Grace helped her with her homework and then supervised Annie and Molly's swim in the pool. Their swim was cut short, however, when Grace found herself falling asleep in her chair. She had been so tired lately. Between having to constantly get up to go to the bathroom and not being able to find a position that was comfortable for long, she hadn't been sleeping well at night. And she had been so busy today that she hadn't taken time to lie down and rest.

Grace called Annie and Molly out of the pool and while Molly obeyed immediately and climbed right out, Annie did not.

"But you said we could swim for an hour," Annie protested, treading water near where her mother was standing.

"I know I did, Annie, but I'm really very tired. I need to go lie down for a little while before dinner," Grace replied, picking up Molly's towel off a chair and wrapping the little girl up in it.

"Can't someone else come and watch us then?" Annie asked.

"No sweetheart, everyone else is busy right now," Grace said, beginning to dry Molly off. "Now please get out and get dried off."

"Just five more minutes," Annie whined. "Please?" Grace looked down at her.

"No, Annie, now," Grace said, picking up Annie's towel now that she had finished with Molly. Annie sighed loudly and then began to grumble, but did make her way to the steps and climbed out of the pool. She stomped her way over to Grace, arms crossed in front of her. Grace chose to ignore the glare on Annie's face and wrapped the towel around her.

"I wish Daddy were here," Annie said. "He'd let us stay in."

"Yes, I'm sure that he would," Grace said shortly. "But he's not here, so we'll just have to make the best of things." Annie muttered something under her breath and Grace had to fight to keep her temper. Molly was staring at Annie, her eyes wide. She had never seen her friend act this way.

"Was there something else that you wanted to say to me?" Grace asked Annie curtly. Annie looked up at her mother for a moment then shook her head. "Well then, I think that perhaps you should go up to your room until dinner. Maybe we both need a nap." Without looking at Grace, Annie turned and stalked out the door to the pool. Grace sighed as she watched her go, then turned to Molly.

"Molly, did something happen at school today that upset Annie?" she asked, as she took the girl's hand to lead her away from the pool.

"No ma'am," Molly said.

"And she hasn't told you that anything's bothering her?" Grace asked, but Molly just shook her head. "All right, well, let's go and find your father then." The two left the pool and Grace delivered Molly to Jack, who picked her up and swung her around before putting her on his shoulders and walking back towards the cottage. Grace watched them, smiling, and then made her way up to her room to lie down for a short nap before dinner.

After a quiet dinner in which neither of them spoke except to ask the other to pass something, Grace turned to Annie and asked her if something was wrong. Annie shook her head at first, then looked up at Grace and shrugged her shoulders.

"I take it that's a yes then," Grace said smirking.

"I just miss Daddy," Annie said.

"I miss him too, Annie, but it's only for a few days," Grace said, trying to be reassuring.

"I know, I'm sorry," Annie said and Grace pulled her into a hug.

"And I'm sorry that you didn't get your swim in," Grace replied, kissing her on the cheek. "How about the two of us do something tonight?" Annie nodded eagerly and soon the two were in a fierce checker tournament. Later, when she tucked her daughter into bed, Annie seemed back to her normal self and Grace was relieved.

* * *

><p>The next day seemed to drag by, but finally it was Friday and Oliver was expected home. Grace was in the office late that morning when the phone rang.<p>

"Darling, it's me," Oliver said, once Grace had answered.

"Why are you calling, shouldn't you be on a plane right now?" Grace asked.

"Yes, that's why I'm calling. I'm not going to make it home today," Oliver said, sighing.

"Oh Oliver, what happened?" Grace asked. "I thought things were going well yesterday." Oliver had called each night to keep Grace updated on the progress of the meetings and had assured her that everything would be wrapped up this morning.

"They were, but this morning everything seemed to fall apart. We're almost back to square one," Oliver admitted. Grace sighed.

"All right," she said sadly.

"I'm sorry, Grace," Oliver replied. "I'm going to try and wrap everything up today and hopefully I can catch the morning flight tomorrow. Tell Annie that we'll have to postpone our date."

"Oh, I'd forgotten all about that," Grace said. "She's going to be disappointed."

"I know, I wish there was something I could do, but I have to get this settled or we _will_ be closing the factory," Oliver said, bitterness in his voice.

"It's all right, she'll understand," Grace reassured Oliver.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too," she replied, hanging up.

* * *

><p>Annie was upset when Grace informed her that Oliver would not be home that evening, but once Grace had told her that Oliver intended to take her to the movie on Saturday instead, she perked up and told Grace the delay didn't bother her. The two spent a quiet evening listening to the radio, Annie drawing and Grace knitting, until it was time for Annie to go to bed. Annie asked if Grace would read to her, but Grace, not having slept well again, told Annie she was just too tired. Anger flashed across Annie's face and she sat in her bed with her arms crossed in front of her.<p>

"What is it?" Grace asked, surprised by the quick change in Annie's behavior.

"Nothing," Annie said sullenly, not looking at Grace.

"Annie," Grace said, sitting down beside her on the bed. "Is something bothering you?"

"I just wanted you to read to me," Annie said, looking sadly up at Grace. Grace sighed. She was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed, but she couldn't resist the look on Annie's face.

"All right," she said, turning around and settling herself as comfortably as she could in Annie's bed. "Just for a few minutes." Annie smiled and leaned against Grace's arm until Grace wrapped it around her and pulled the girl close to her. Grace leaned her cheek onto the top of Annie's head and smiled. She supposed that a few minutes of lost sleep was worth it.

* * *

><p>The next day, Oliver called once again and told Grace he would not be able to make it home on Saturday either and would have to postpone the movie until the following week. Grace sighed, knowing how upset Annie was going to be, but told Oliver not to worry. He swore he would be home on Sunday, even if he did have to close down the factory to ensure it and Grace chuckled as she hung up the phone, sure that he would do just that if he needed to. She went in search of Annie and found her reading in her room.<p>

"Annie, I'm afraid I have some bad news," Grace said, as she sat down on the bed beside the girl.

"What?" Annie asked, looking confused.

"Your father isn't going to be able to get home today," Grace said, taking Annie's hand. "He still has to finish up a few things and won't be home until tomorrow. He told me to tell you he's very sorry, but the movie will have to wait until next week." Annie didn't say anything for a moment, then looked up at Grace.

"Well, you could take me," Annie said.

"Oh, sweetheart, I don't think I could sit for that long," Grace replied, motioning to her very large belly. "I get so uncomfortable I need to move around after just a little while and you know how often I have to go to the bathroom." She thought this would make Annie giggle, but instead the girl gave her a sullen look. Annie crossed her arms in front of her and glared at Grace.

"Annie, what is it?" Grace asked, taken aback by her daughter's behavior.

"Nothing," Annie said, turning to look out the window.

"I know you're disappointed and I'm sorry that I can't take you myself," Grace said. "Maybe your father can take you out for ice cream when he gets home."

"I don't want ice cream. I want to see the movie," Annie said stubbornly.

"I know sweetheart, I'm sorry," Grace said soothingly. Annie muttered something under her breath. "What was that?" Grace asked.

"I said, you're not sorry," Annie said. "You don't care or you'd take me to the movie yourself." Grace was shocked at Annie's behavior. The little girl rarely got upset and even when she did, she had never spoken to Grace the way she was now. There was definitely something going on, but if Annie wouldn't tell her, Grace wasn't sure what to do.

"I am sorry and I explained why I couldn't take you," Grace said, forcing herself to remain calm. "It's time for lunch, let's go and eat and maybe you'll feel better."

"I'm not hungry," Annie insisted, her face in a full pout now. Grace sighed and closed her eyes, squeezing her brow with her fingers.

"All right then, I'll just leave you here to think," Grace said. "Come down to the kitchen if you change your mind." Grace turned and walked out of Annie's room, closing the door behind her.

* * *

><p>I don't know what's gotten into her," Grace said exasperatedly to Mrs. Pugh a few minutes later. "She just seems so, so angry, and she's never spoken to me in that tone of voice before." Grace picked up the tea Helen had put in front of her and took a sip. Helen sat down with her own cup in front of her and put a hand on Grace's arm.<p>

"Don't worry too much over it," she said. "It's just jealousy."

"Jealousy?" Grace said. "What do you mean?"

"Same thing every mother deals with when another baby comes along," Helen said, chuckling at Grace. "The first is jealous of the second and the second of the third. Of course, the first is usually jealous of the third too, so you've got double to deal with then." Grace gaped at her and then shook her head while Helen laughed.

"Of course, it's a bit different with Annie, I expect. Even though she's 11, she's only had you to herself for a short time. I suppose she's feeling a little insecure," Helen said matter-of-factly.

"But, she seemed so excited when she helped me set up the nursery," Grace said, perplexed look on her face.

"Oh, of course she's excited," Helen said. "That doesn't mean she's not jealous too. I've always said that the jealousy is completely dependent on the size of your stomach. The bigger the belly gets, the bigger the jealousy. And you have to admit, Grace, you are looking quite large lately." Grace looked up at Helen, mouth hanging open until she saw Helen's wink and realized the woman was just teasing her.

"What do I do about it then?" Grace asked. "I don't want her to be so angry with me."

"Just reassure her, tell her you love her," Helen replied. "But, Grace, I'm afraid no matter what you say, this is something that has to run its course. Once the baby gets here, it will probably be a bit worse until Annie realizes that you still love her just as much as you did before. She's older though and she understands more, it won't take her too long, I'm sure."

"I just wish she knew that no one could take her place in my heart," Grace said softly, her eyes tearing up. Helen reached out and took Grace's hand in her own.

"She knows," Helen assured her. "She may not realize it yet, but she knows, make no mistake about that." Grace nodded and the older woman hugged her. "Now, you finish that sandwich and I'll make Annie a tray you can take up to her, all right?"

"All right," Grace replied, smiling.

* * *

><p>Once Grace had brought Annie her lunch tray the rest of the day seemed to go by more smoothly. Annie seemed to have recovered from her bad mood and the two spent the afternoon together outside. It had turned cooler than it had been the previous week, but it was still warm enough and Annie took Grace on a tour of the newly blooming gardens, pointing out the plants she and Molly had helped Jack with.<p>

After their long walk and all the fresh air, Grace was quite tired when they came back into the house. Annie wanted Grace to watch her swim, but Grace told Annie that she couldn't. Truthfully, she had been feeling a bit off all day and thought that the sandwich she had eaten for lunch might just decide to make another appearance if she didn't lie down soon. As soon as Grace had told Annie that she wasn't going to take her swimming, Annie began to pout.

"Annie, please, no more of that. I just can't deal with it right now," Grace said, beginning to walk up the stairs. Annie, however, ignored her mother and began to trail after her.

"Please, Mom," she whined. "Just for a few minutes."

"I said no, Annie," Grace replied, continuing up the stairs.

"Fine, I'll just go by myself then," Annie said and Grace turned quickly back to look at her.

"You will do no such thing," Grace said sharply. "It isn't safe for you to be in the pool alone." Annie crossed her arms in front of her and glared at Grace.

"I'll just call Daddy," Annie said defiantly. "He'll let me." Grace simply stared at her daughter for a moment, shocked. Then she came down the steps until she was even with Annie. She leaned down and got very close to the little girl's face.

"You will stop this behavior, immediately, young lady," Grace said quietly, but with a fierceness in her voice that Annie could not ignore. Grace took Annie by the arm. "Or you will go to your room for the rest of the evening."

"Fine!" Annie yelled, wrenching herself away from Grace. "I don't care if I **do** have to go to my room. It's no fun with you anyway, you're tired all the time. I hate the baby and I hate you!" With that, Annie turned and ran up the stairs, leaving an incredulous Grace in her wake. After staring after Annie for a few minutes, Grace leaned back against the stair railing, drawing in a deep breath. As she got over the shock of Annie's departure, Grace realized she was quite angry. It would do no good for her to follow her daughter now, she would say something she would regret, Grace knew.

But what on earth had happened to her sweet, happy little girl? Annie had never, ever acted like this and regardless of whether she was jealous of the baby or not, Grace had never expected her to. The more she thought about it though, the more Grace realized that Annie had been pulling away from her in the last few weeks. Annie seemed to prefer to spend most of her free time with Oliver. Even when the three of them had been together, it was Oliver that Annie spoke to and while Grace never felt left out of any conversation, she realized that Annie had not asked her a direct question in Oliver's presence in quite some time. Grace was surprised she hadn't realized it until now. It made sense, given the fact that Grace was the one with the ever expanding waistline. Her daughter was turning away from her because she thought Grace was going to replace her with the new baby. The thought made Grace's heart ache, but she knew she needed to get her emotions under control before she went and spoke to Annie.

Grace made her way slowly down the stairs as Mrs. Pugh and Cecile came rushing into the hall.

"We heard Annie yelling," Helen said. "What happened?" She looked at Grace with concern and when Grace laughed shakily, and then covered her mouth with her hand to hide an escaping sob, Helen put an arm around her. She then led Grace to the settee near the stairs, Cecile following behind. Helen sat down on the settee, pulling Grace with her and Cecile stood to the side, looking down at Grace worriedly.

"It seems that Annie hates me," Grace said, watery smile on her face. Cecile gasped and Helen looked at Grace with a commiserating smile.

"Yes, it does sting quite a bit, the first time you hear that, doesn't it?" she asked. Grace simply nodded and Cecile put a hand on her shoulder in comfort. "She doesn't mean it though, you do know that?"

"I'm not sure what I know right now," Grace admitted. "Just that I am exhausted, I feel sick and now I need to go deal with a very surly 11 year-old. And I wish that Oliver were here." She sighed and hitched in a breath as Helen drew her in close, Grace's head resting on her shoulder.

"Don't you worry about anything Grace, Annie will be fine," Helen said, as she smoothed the other woman's hair. "Why don't you go on up to bed, we'll take care of Annie tonight. I'll bring you up some soup in a bit, all right?"

"I really should go and talk to her," Grace said, although the thought of falling into bed was very appealing.

"Not now, Grace, she needs to calm down too," Helen insisted.

"Maybe I should take her to my house for the evening?" Cecile asked. "Molly has been asking for another sleepover and you look like you could use the rest."

"I think that's a wonderful idea," Helen said. "Give you both a little time away from each other and tomorrow when Mr. Warbucks gets back, the three of you can sit down and have a talk about all of this." Grace's brow furrowed. She really didn't know how a sleepover with Molly would teach Annie anything, but Grace was so very tired and she felt so completely not herself that she decided maybe Helen was right and things could wait until tomorrow to be settled.

"I suppose it would be all right," Grace said tiredly.

"I'll just go and collect her then," Cecile said. "We haven't had dinner yet, she can eat with us." Grace nodded and Cecile went upstairs to Annie's room. Grace sat with Helen for a few more minutes until Annie came downstairs, Sandy in tow. Cecile whispered something to Annie and she came to stand in front of Grace, guilty expression on her face.

"I'm sorry, for what I said," Annie said quietly, biting her lower lip. Grace simply nodded and tried to smile.

"I know and we'll talk about it tomorrow," Grace said, reaching out and taking Annie's hand. "You have fun with Molly and listen to Jack and Cecile."

"I will," Annie promised and Grace leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. Annie turned to follow Cecile but before she had taken more than a few steps, turned back around and ran to Grace, throwing her arms around her. Had it not been for Helen's quick hand to Grace's back, the two would have tumbled off the settee. Grace hugged Annie tightly.

"I love you," she whispered into the girl's ear. Annie replied with a muffled, 'me too', and then let go of Grace, quickly walking after Cecile. Sandy trotted behind his young mistress, but when they reached the terrace door, the dog stopped and turned back to look at Grace, letting out a small whine.

"It's all right, Sandy, I'll be fine," Grace said, chuckling at the dog. He seemed to hesitate for another second before turning and following Annie out the door. Helen looked quizzically at Grace, but Grace just shook her head, smile on her face.

* * *

><p>An hour later, Grace lay in bed. Helen had brought her soup, as she had promised, and Grace had eaten a little bit of it, but she wasn't really hungry. The baby was rather quiet for once, something that rarely happened when Grace was settling down to sleep. The baby always seemed to take Grace's inactivity for his cue to start turning summersaults. Tonight though, it was almost as if he realized that something was wrong and his mother needed him to be quiet. Grace rubbed a hand across her belly, her thoughts full of the confrontation with Annie and everything that had led up to it.<p>

No matter what Helen said, Grace felt horribly guilty, both that she didn't see the signs of Annie's detachment from her and the fact that she hadn't pushed harder to try and deal with how upset Annie was tonight. Grace was so very tired though, she wasn't sure if anything she would have said would have done a bit of good. She just hoped that Annie was enjoying her sleepover with Molly and not dwelling on everything as Grace was. The last thing she wanted, Grace thought, as sleep finally came and pulled her under, was for Annie to feel guilty.

Her rest was short-lived however, as she awoke sometime later with the baby seemingly stomping on her bladder. Grace groaned and swung her legs out of bed, shuffling to the bathroom. She returned to her bed, still exhausted, however sleep eluded her this time as her mind raced. She wanted nothing more than to walk down to Jack and Cecile's cottage and scoop Annie up in her arms, not letting the little girl go until Grace had convinced her that no one could take her place. Tears wet Grace's cheeks as she thought about how upset Annie must have been these last few weeks and guilt that she hadn't noticed it sooner.

Feeling restless, Grace stood and pulled on her robe, slipping her feet into her slippers. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table, it was after midnight and the house was dark and silent as she left her room. She stole across the hall to Annie's bedroom, sinking down onto her daughter's bed and wrapping herself in Annie's quilt. She lay down on Annie's pillow, the little girl's scent washing over her as the tears returned. As she slowly drifted back into sleep, Grace had a very strong feeling that something was very wrong. But try as she might, she couldn't hold on to those last wisps of consciousness and she was pulled under once more.

* * *

><p>Somewhere, a window was opened, nearly silently.<p>

Somewhere, a dog began to bark.

Somewhere, a dark shadow could be seen, carrying a rather awkward bundle.

Somewhere, the sound of a motor could be heard, becoming fainter and fainter until it disappeared altogether.

And somewhere, a man's eyes snapped open, a feeling of dread coursing through him, but when he tried to remember what exactly the dream had been about, nothing but half-formed images and shadows of thoughts came to mind, until he succumbed once again to the heavy bonds of sleep.

* * *

><p>Oliver yawned as he walked into George's office on Sunday morning. His sleep had been disrupted by strange and troubling dreams, although, if asked, Oliver would not have been able to recall a single detail from any of them. He sat down heavily in the chair in front of George's desk, scrubbing a hand down his face and yawning again. Still the feeling of foreboding about the dreams from the night before hung over Oliver. He had tried to shake it off as a reaction to the stress of the last few days, but for some reason he felt it was something more than that. His brow furrowed as he tried again to remember what his dreams had been about, but to no avail. Oliver was glad when his thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of George and even happier when George put a very large cup of coffee down in front of him.<p>

"Ah," Oliver said as he took a sip. "How did you know I needed this?"

"Well, if your sleep has been anything like mine the last few nights, I figured you could use about six of them," George replied chuckling.

"Too true," Oliver said, taking another sip of coffee. "Think we can wrap this up today?"

"I hope so sir," George said, sipping his own coffee. "Seems like we're about finished, although I know we've felt that way a few times this week already." Oliver nodded in agreement.

"I'm leaving today George, whether this is wrapped up or not. I've got to get back to my family," Oliver insisted. "I'm willing to take drastic measures if I have to."

"I understand sir," George replied. They drank their coffee in silence for a few more minutes, Oliver's agitation growing. He eventually got up and started to pace, as George looked at him in concern.

"Are you all right sir?" George asked, as Oliver ran a hand across the top of his head.

"I don't know," Oliver said frowning. "I feel like I just really need to be home. How much longer until everyone gets here?"

"Any minute," George said, just as the phone rang. Oliver continued to pace, ignoring George's end of the conversation, until the man had hung up the phone, an incredulous look on his face.

"What is it?" Oliver asked, a little sharper than he had intended.

"That was John Sanders," George said and Oliver's heart sunk. Sanders was the leader of the faction of workers who had been causing all the problems. Oliver was sure he had called with yet another demand and they would be starting all over again.

"What did he want?" Oliver growled.

"To agree to everything we gave them yesterday," George said, face still showing his shock. "He said they all talked last night and agreed. Everyone's signed and they won't need to come in to meet with us after all." Oliver had stopped mid-pace at George's first sentence. Now he was frozen, his mouth hanging open, absolutely unable to believe what he had just heard.

"But, but," he spluttered. "What about the overtime?"

"They agreed to it," George said. "Said they knew we needed to get back to work and they'd have to work extra to make up for the time they'd lost. Said they were fine with it." Oliver still stood statue-like, gazing at George. He didn't understand this. Last night, Sanders had been vehemently opposed to any more overtime, refused to even consider it and now he was ready to agree to it, just like that? It made no sense to Oliver what-so-ever.

"You're sure they've all agreed? Everyone has signed?" Oliver asked, still suspicious.

"That's what he said," George said shrugging. "Said that Jones is bringin' over the paperwork right now. Should be here in about fifteen minutes."

Sure enough, fifteen minutes later, a short, squat man came through the door to the office with a folder in his hand. He nodded to Oliver and George, then gave them the folder, turning and hurrying out as fast as he had entered. George took the folder and flipped through the papers inside.

"Looks like everything is in order, sir," George said, looking up at Oliver. "I guess they reconsidered."

"Reconsidered?" Oliver said, still completely taken aback by the turn of events. "I'd say they did a complete about face on the whole thing."

"Well, at least you get to go home now," George said, smiling at his boss.

"Yes, there is that," Oliver agreed, standing and pulling on his overcoat. "Still, I can't help wondering." He trailed off, deep in thought. It made no sense as to why the man who had protested every single thing during this entire process had all of a sudden agreed to everything that had been put forth, just like that. Still, Oliver wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He began to gather up the few papers he had pulled from his briefcase when he had come into the office and then called out to Punjab who was standing outside the door.

"Have the Asp pull the car around Punjab, it looks like we're done here," Oliver said.

"Yes, Sahib," his bodyguard replied, as he went to talk to the Asp who had stationed himself at the outer factory door.

"Well, George, I appreciate all the work you did to get this deal done," Oliver said, shaking the man's hand. "Here's hoping everything runs smoothly from now on."

"Thank you, Mr. Warbucks," George replied. "Sorry I had to drag you here for all of this."

"Not to worry, not to worry," Oliver said, bending down and picking up his briefcase. He turned to walk out of the office, seeing Punjab returning from speaking to the Asp. Oliver couldn't wait to get home. Perhaps he could even take Annie to the matinee of the movie this afternoon, now that it looked as if he would make it on the morning flight back to New York.

"Mr. Warbucks, wait," George called out and Oliver turned around.

"What is it George?" he asked.

"I just found a note for you on my desk, sir," George said, walking out of the office and handing Oliver a plain white envelope with his name scrawled across the front. Frowning, Oliver opened the envelope and withdrew a single sheet of paper. As he opened it and read the message inside, his knees buckled and he began to sink to the floor. Punjab grasped his arm tightly and kept Oliver on his feet.

"Sahib, what is it?" Punjab asked, but Oliver only shook his head, handing Punjab the note. The bodyguard took it in his free hand. There was only one line typed across the middle of the paper and it made no sense to Punjab. It did, however, seem to make sense to his boss, if his reaction were any indication, and that was enough to make Punjab's heart grow cold as he read it again.

_**We're still not even, but it's a start.**_


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N - All right my lovely readers, sorry for the delay on this chapter. There were alot of logistical things in this chapter and the next that I had to make sure to include, in order for the timeline to make sense. So I had to write a large chunk of the next chapter as well, to make sure I didn't forget anything. The good news about that is the next chapter is about 3/4 of the way written so it should be posted by Friday, maybe even by Thursday depending on how much writing time I get. And the chapter after that is almost completely written as well, as I wrote it way back during the first few chapters of the story. So, the next couple should come rather quickly, if all goes well. Thanks again for all the reviews, they really make my day! Enjoy!**

Punjab towed Oliver to a chair in front of George's desk. Oliver's eyes had glazed over and he had a look of horror on his face. Punjab squatted down in front of his employer before speaking.

"Sahib," he said sharply, but Oliver simply continued to stare off into the distance, not seeing anything that was going on around him. Punjab took hold of Oliver's arm and shook him slightly. "Sahib!" he said more forcefully. Oliver snapped out of his trance at Punjab's tone and looked at the man. "What does this note mean?"

"The phone, I need the phone," Oliver managed to get out, scrambling around the top of George's desk. George quickly pushed the phone toward Oliver and he shakily dialed his home. Someone picked up on the first ring, as if they had been waiting by the phone.

"Warbucks residence," Oliver heard Drake's voice say.

"Drake, it's Mr. Warbucks," Oliver said quickly. "Please tell me they're all right."

"Mr. Warbucks," Drake began, but Oliver interrupted.

"Grace and Annie, are they all right?" he demanded, his voice rising.

"Sir, I am," Drake broke off and took a deep breath. "Annie is fine sir, she is with Jack and Cecile."

"And Grace?" Oliver asked, his heart clenching in fear.

"Mrs. Warbucks is missing," Drake said quietly. "We have searched everywhere and we cannot find her." Oliver dropped the phone and it swung by its cord off the side of the desk. He looked back to the note that Punjab still held in his hand. His breath began to come in short gasps and before he could say or do anything, the room went black.

* * *

><p>When Oliver came to, he was lying on the floor of George's office, a coat rolled up under his head like a pillow. Punjab was hovering above him and as he turned his head, Oliver could see George and the Asp off to the side, looking at him in concern. He closed his eyes for a moment, then sat bolt upright as he remembered his telephone conversation.<p>

"Grace," he whispered then looked to Punjab, grasping the man's arm. "Grace, where is she?"

"We do not know," Punjab, who had spoken to Drake after Oliver had passed out, shook his head. "Mrs. Pugh went up to your bedroom this morning, when Mrs. did not come down for breakfast, but Mrs. was not there. They searched the house, but she is nowhere to be found. All of the cars are still there and the only thing that seems to be missing is the quilt from Annie's bed." Oliver looked questioningly at Punjab at this statement, but Punjab again shook his head.

"Annie spent the night with Molly last night, but the quilt is still missing, the bed mussed," Punjab said.

"He has her Punjab, that bastard has her," Oliver said as he stood, his teeth clenched. "This entire thing with the factory was a setup so he could get to her." Oliver banged a fist down on the desk.

"Who Sahib?" Punjab asked.

"William Bennett," Oliver spat. Then he jumped forward and grabbed George by the lapels of his jacket. "Did you have something to do with this Evans? Did Bennett put you up to this farce?" Punjab and the Asp had moved to either side of Oliver, taking his arms and trying to pull him off of his foreman.

"What? No!" George exclaimed. "I didn't have anything to do with this, I swear it!" Oliver let go of George and put a hand to his face.

"I'm sorry George, I didn't mean," Oliver trailed off, sitting down heavily in the chair behind him.

"It's all right sir, I understand," George said, straightening his jacket. "I'm sorry sir. Is there anything I can do?"

"No, I don't," Oliver pulled in a shaky breath, leaning an elbow on the desk and trying to gather himself. After a few moments, he jumped up, grabbing his briefcase and charging from the room. "We've got to get to the airport," he ordered his bodyguards, who nodded to George and followed quickly behind Oliver.

* * *

><p>Oliver willed the plane to fly faster, the time to pass more quickly, anything to get him home sooner. He fidgeted in his seat and the anger and fear seemed to radiate off him. The stewardess had already received the brunt of his anger, although Punjab had apologized for Oliver's behavior. When they finally landed, Oliver nearly ran to the car parked outside, impatiently waiting for the Asp and Punjab.<p>

On the drive home, Oliver peppered Punjab with questions, many of which he already knew the answers to. To his credit, the bodyguard's demeanor never changed, answering and reassuring Oliver in his calm, sedate manner.

"And the police have been informed?" Oliver asked for the third time since they had boarded the plane that morning.

"Yes, Sahib," Punjab replied. "They will be waiting at the house to speak with you when we arrive."

As the car pulled into the drive, Oliver did not wait for the Asp to get out and open his door. He jumped out before they had even completely stopped and rushed toward the house. Drake must have been watching for them, however, as he opened the door before Oliver reached it. As he entered, Oliver spotted the chief of police standing next to a detective. He stalked toward them but before he could ask what was happening with the investigation, a small voice cried out to him.

"Daddy!" Annie cried. Oliver turned and caught his daughter as she ran full tilt toward him. He enveloped her in a fierce hug, kissing her head.

"Thank god you're all right," he murmured into her hair. Annie pulled back to look at him and Oliver noticed the tears in her eyes.

"It's all my fault," Annie said, sniffling.

"What are you talking about?" Oliver asked. "How could this be your fault?"

"Because I was mean to Mom and she was so tired and then she sent me to spend the night at Molly's and I took Sandy with me and if he had been here, no one could have gotten her!" Annie wailed, burying her face in Oliver's neck. Oliver rubbed her back and hugged her, quietly shushing her until her sobs subsided.

"Listen to me sweetheart, this isn't your fault," Oliver insisted, pulling Annie up so she would look at him. "A very bad man did this and nothing you did or didn't do would have stopped him. Do you understand that?" Annie nodded. "Now I need to talk to the police for a minute, okay?" Annie nodded again and he set her down. Mrs. Pugh walked up and took Annie by the hand.

"Come along dear, you come and help me in the kitchen, all right?" Annie walked away with Mrs. Pugh, but kept looking back sadly at Oliver.

"I'll come and find you when I'm finished," Oliver called out to reassure the little girl. When the two had disappeared, Oliver turned back to the police chief and motioned the two men to follow him. They stepped into the study, followed by Drake and Punjab. Oliver stood in front of the fireplace, bracing his hands against the mantle, his back to everyone in the room.

"Tell me exactly what you know," he said. The police chief and the detective sat down on the sofa, the detective opening a small notebook.

"Mrs. Warbucks turned in early last night. According to your cook, she was very tired and didn't feel well," the detective began, reading from his notes. "Your daughter spent the night in the gardener's cottage. No one heard or saw anything out of the ordinary in the evening and the last of the staff turned in around 11:30 pm."

"When Mrs. Warbucks had not come down to breakfast by 9:30 this morning, the cook began to get worried and went up to check on her. She wasn't in her room, although the bed did look like it had been slept in. The rest of the house was searched by the staff, but Mrs. Warbucks was nowhere on the premises. The only thing that was noticed to be missing was the quilt from your daughter's bed. After the information about the note you received this morning, we went on the assumption that she had been kidnapped," he continued. Oliver, while not surprised by these words, drew in a breath all the same.

"We searched the grounds outside and found some footprints below the balcony of your daughter's room and there were some scratches on the railing, so whoever took Mrs. Warbucks may have climbed up a ladder or used a rope. We think they came in through the window near the balcony. It wasn't locked." Oliver nodded knowing that the staff had been opening up the windows in the last few weeks as the weather had been quite warm. He wasn't surprised that the window in Annie's room had not been relocked.

"So she was kidnapped sometime between 11:30 last night and 9:30 this morning?" Oliver asked, not turning around.

"Actually we think we know about the time she was taken," the detective said. "According to your gardener, your dog started barking around 12:30 am in the cottage. The gardener checked outside, but didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. The dog seemed to have worked himself up into quite a state though, so the gardener thought he had seen a rabbit or something and let him out. The dog ran towards the house but came back after about fifteen minutes. The gardener said he was restless the rest of the night, kept getting up and whining at the door until finally he just put the dog out so they could all sleep," the detective finished.

"And no one, besides Sandy, heard anything?" Oliver asked, turning around to face the men in the room.

"No sir, I'm sorry," Drake said, looking rather ashamed of himself.

"What I want to know is how on earth did they get a very pregnant woman down a ladder from a balcony and keep her quiet about it?" Oliver demanded angrily.

"We think that they knocked her out with ether," the police chief said. "There was still a slight scent of it in your daughter's room this morning." Oliver visibly paled at this, but something still did not add up.

"Even so, it's not as if someone could just sling her over his shoulder and carry her down," Oliver insisted.

"Yes, sir, we know. To be honest, we're not exactly sure how she was taken out of the house," the detective said. "Just that she was." Oliver stood, looking out the window behind the sofa, thinking. Whoever had taken her may have come in through the window, but they could not have gotten Grace out that way. Beside the fact that it made no sense that they came in Annie's window if it was Grace that they wanted.

"Punjab," Oliver said, looking to the man who was standing by the door of the study. "We need to talk to the security I hired." Punjab nodded, leaving the room. He returned a few minutes later with another man in tow.

"Sir," the man said, as he stepped into the room. "I'm very sorry about this sir. I don't know how anyone could have gotten past my men without being seen." The man was fidgeting noticeably.

"I need a list of the men who were working last night," Oliver said curtly.

"Yes, sir," the man said as the detective handed him a notebook and pen. When the man had finished his list, he gave it to Oliver. Oliver read it and frowned at the third name on the list. Saying nothing to anyone, he rushed from the room and ran up to his office. Pulling open a drawer of his desk, he fumbled through files until finding the one he wanted. Flipping through a few pages, he found the list he was looking for and ran a finger down the names until stopping on one. Glancing back at the notebook, Oliver sucked in a breath and sank down into his desk chair. The names were the same. After taking a few minutes to gather himself, Oliver strode back down to the study.

"I need to know where this man was stationed last night," Oliver demanded of the security guard, pointing to the name on the list.

"Charlie was at the front gate sir," the man replied.

"That's how they got her out," Oliver said quietly.

"Sir?" the man asked and Oliver looked up to see everyone in the room looking at him in confusion.

"This man, Charlie Talbot, used to work in my factory in Pittsburgh," Oliver said, crossing the room to sink down into a chair next to the sofa. "He was one of the men let go last summer when we did our reorganization. He was also particularly close to William Bennett."

"So you think that this Talbot let Bennett in and out?" the police chief asked. "Why the footprints near the balcony then?"

"I don't know," Oliver said, lips pursed in thought.

"I think I do," the detective said. "I think they may have been after your daughter. If it was dark enough and depending on the way she was lying in the bed, they may have even used the ether on your wife before they realized she wasn't your daughter. Once they discovered their mistake and were unable to locate your daughter, they figured they would just take Mrs. Warbucks. But they wouldn't be able to carry her down the ladder as they had obviously intended to do with your daughter. So they went out the front door instead."

"Good lord," Oliver whispered, his mouth frozen open in horror. He had never even entertained the fact that Annie was Bennett's intended target. Then another question popped into his mind.

"When did Talbot come to work for you?" Oliver asked the security head.

"Just after the first of the year," the man responded. Oliver nodded, his suspicions confirmed. Bennett had planned this from the beginning, right after Oliver had paid him off. Which meant he had done his homework, found the security firm Oliver normally used and gotten Talbot on staff there. It also meant that the breakdown at the factory in March was most likely caused by Bennett or someone close to him, not just a random event like he thought. Bennett had planned this all out very carefully and it scared Oliver that the man was so meticulous.

"What happens now?" Oliver asked, looking back to the police chief.

"We'll look into this Charlie Talbot, see if we can find out anything more about him," the chief answered. "If you'll allow us to take that list of former employees we may be able to get more information." Oliver nodded, handing the list over to the detective. "And then we wait for a ransom note. I assume that you think there will be one?"

"Oh there will most definitely be one," Oliver said, his jaw clenching. "It's just a matter of when and what exactly he wants."

"We should be getting to work," the police chief said to the detective. Both men stood and the chief approached Oliver. "I'm putting every available man on this case. We'll find her sir." Oliver nodded and shook his hand as Drake showed the two men out. Oliver turned to the head of security.

"I will no longer be requiring your services," he very nearly growled at the man. "Please collect the rest of your employees and leave my property immediately." The man nodded and quickly hurried from the room.

"Do you think that was wise?" Punjab asked. "Given the circumstances?"

"Bennett won't be coming back," Oliver said. "He's got what he wants and thinks he has me backed into a corner. But, I'm going to find him and when I do," Oliver paused, a menacing look in his eye. "I'm going to kill him."

* * *

><p>Grace slowly awoke, disoriented and groggy. He head felt odd, as if it had been stuffed with cotton and when she tried to open her eyes, it made her head pound so she closed them again. She lay still trying to figure out where she was and then remembered she had gone into Annie's room during the night. She supposed she had fallen asleep there. Although it didn't feel as if she were in Annie's bed and it didn't smell like it either. Grace wrinkled her nose at the smell of mildew and stagnant air. She slowly opened one eye so it was no more than a slit and tried to take in her surroundings. She was in a bed, but it was no bed she had ever seen before and the room around her was small, dirty and covered in a fine layer of dust. Grace's heart began to pound. Where on earth was she and what had happened?<p>

She opened both eyes, squinting against the pain in her head. Before she could scan the room again, she heard voices. They seemed to be coming from somewhere behind her, so she held very still and strained to listen. At first she could only make out a word or two, but the two men who were arguing began to get louder.

"I can't believe you messed it up like this!" one yelled. "She's not who we were supposed to take!"

"Why would I think she would be in the brat's room?" the other asked. "If you had been doing your job you would have known the kid wasn't in the house!"

"My job was to make sure I got put at the front gate and I did!" the first replied back indignantly. "How the hell was I supposed to know what was going on _inside_ the house? You were the one that was supposed to be casing the place."

"Well, it's kinda hard to do that when you couldn't let me in until after dark," the other sneered back. "If I could have gotten in during the afternoon like I wanted, I would have known."

"I told you, I _tried_ to pull a double shift, but that stupid boss of mine keeps hiring people," the first said, disgust in his voice. "Feels all bad and everything because of the Depression, wants to give out as many jobs as possible. What an idiot!"

"It worked out better this way anyhow," the other insisted.

"How do you figure that?" the first asked.

"Cause, now we got _two_ worth ransom instead of just one. Warbucks' broad and his kid, his _real_ kid," the other replied. "And with her back there, we're gonna bleed the man dry. First though, I'm gonna let him stew a little. Let him wonder what happened and where she's at, wonder what's happening to her. We'll send the note tomorrow." Then he began to laugh and Grace bit down on her lip to keep from making any noise. So she had been kidnapped in place of Annie. Grace thought of her little girl being here in this place and her anger flared. How dare they even _think_ about taking her daughter? Grace forced herself to calm and stay as motionless as possible, she wanted to hear anything else they had to say. But the argument appeared to be over for the moment and she heard footsteps coming into the room she was in. She closed her eyes quickly and evened out her breathing, pretending to still be asleep. The footsteps stopped in front of her and she lay as still as possible. She could feel whoever was in the room with her staring, and it took all of Grace's willpower not to move. After a few moments, she felt hot breath on her face and no longer able to stop herself, Grace's eyes snapped open and she looked into the piercing blue eyes of her kidnapper. She had seen those eyes once before, on the face of her oldest niece, and Grace knew at once who the man before her was. She was face to face with William Bennett.

* * *

><p>Once the police had left, Oliver went to his office and called the papers. He wanted Grace's story on the front page of every newspaper on the East Coast by morning. He gave them the basic facts, that Grace was missing and presumed kidnapped, but gave no indication that he knew who had taken her. He offered a reward, of course, for any information leading to the return of his wife and the capture of her assailants.<p>

Oliver also called Walt Stevens, putting him immediately on the case. He gave the man the same information the police had and asked Walt to look into the connection with Charlie Talbot as well as going back to some of his old contacts when he was on the hunt for William Bennett. Oliver hoped that someone knew something, even if it was just a place that Bennett might hide Grace.

Business finished, Oliver made his way to the kitchen to seek out his daughter. He knew Annie would need him right now, but truth be told, he needed her just as much. She was a physical link to Grace and that, more than anything, it what would get him through this. When he came through the kitchen door, Annie was sitting with her arms crossed and resting on the table. She had laid her head on top of her arms and while she wasn't crying, Oliver could tell she had been. Her eyes were red and puffy and she wiped at her nose every few seconds. Mrs. Pugh looked up as he entered and motioned to Annie. The girl sat up and turned to look at him, then once again ran and flung herself into his arms as she had when he first arrived home. She laid her head on his shoulder and promptly began to cry again.

"Come on sweetheart, let's go upstairs, all right?" Oliver said soothingly, rubbing her back. He nodded to Mrs. Pugh, who gave him a watery smile, and left the kitchen. He carried Annie upstairs, taking her into his room and sitting down with her on the couch. She snuggled in his lap, sniffling and crying as he held her close, handing her the handkerchief out of his pocket. The sat in silence for quite a while until Annie had seemed to cry herself out. She sniffled a few more times and then sat up.

"Do you know where Mom is?" she asked, looking at him hopefully.

"No sweetheart, I'm sorry but I don't," he replied sadly.

"When will she be back?" Annie asked quietly.

"I'm afraid I don't know that either," Oliver said.

"But you know who did it," Annie said. "You said a very bad man took her, you know who it is."

"Yes, I do," Oliver said, his jaw clenched.

"So you can just go and tell him to give her back," Annie said. "Right?"

"I'm afraid it's not that simple, sweetheart," Oliver said sadly. "You see, I don't know where this man is, not to mention the fact that he took your mother because he wants something."

"What?" Annie asked confused.

"Money, most likely," Oliver replied.

"So if you give him the money, he'll give Mom back?" Annie questioned.

"That's the idea, yes," Oliver said, but a dark look crossed his face and Annie looked at him puzzled at first, then frightened as she realized what he hadn't said.

"What if," she whispered, "What if he won't give her back?" Oliver looked at his daughter, her words expressing his deepest fears. But he knew that she needed reassurance as much as he did.

"Listen to me," he said, holding onto her arms and making sure she was looking him in the eye. "We will get your mother back, I swear it to you. Nothing will stop me from finding her, do you understand?" Annie looked at him for a moment, then nodded and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. Oliver hugged her back and knew that if he was going to get the both of them through this ordeal, he was going to need help. He needed to call Elizabeth.

* * *

><p>After their conversation, Oliver had taken Annie with him to his office to call Elizabeth. He had suggested she wait for him in his room, but the girl would not leave his side. Another reason why Oliver needed help. He knew Annie was going to cling to him until her mother was found, and while he intended to spend as much time with her as possible, there were still times when he would need to talk to the police without her around. There were things that would be said and need to be done that his daughter need not know about.<p>

Elizabeth was horrified to hear what had happened and broke down when Oliver told her he was positive it was Bennett that had taken Grace. She collected herself quickly, however, and told Oliver she would be on the next train to New York.

"Are you sure you can get away?" Oliver asked. "What about the children?"

"Catherine is more than capable of helping Frank with the boys," Elizabeth replied. "I'll bring Mary with me, she and Annie got on so well at Thanksgiving. I think she might help with distracting Annie."

"All right, if you're sure," Oliver said. "I can't, I don't know," Oliver broke off, overcome with emotion. He collected himself quickly when he felt Annie's eyes on him.

"Oliver, we're family, this is what we do," Elizabeth said. "We should be able to catch the evening train, but it won't put us in until very late tonight."

"That's not a problem," Oliver said. "I'll send the Asp to meet you."

"See you soon," Elizabeth said and Oliver hung up the phone. Oliver looked over at the couch where Annie sat looking forlorn.

"Aunt Elizabeth and Mary are coming," Oliver said, hoping to get a smile out of his daughter. But she just shrugged her shoulders and continued to pick at a loose thread on the sofa. Oliver's heart clenched and he barely kept a reign on his emotions. "Come on sweetheart," he said, standing and holding out a hand to Annie. "Let's go and see if Mrs. Pugh has anything for us to eat." Annie rose and took his hand and the two made their way down to the kitchen for a snack.

* * *

><p>That night after dinner, Oliver was taking Annie upstairs to put her to bed. While she wouldn't admit it, Oliver could tell she was exhausted. As they made their way toward the stairs, Oliver heard someone clearing his throat behind him. He turned to see Jack standing near the terrace doors, twisting his cap in his hands nervously.<p>

"Mr. Warbucks, can I talk to you for a moment?" Jack asked.

"Of course Jack," Oliver replied. "Annie why don't you go up to your room, I'll be there in a few minutes." Annie looked at him in fear and Oliver mentally cursed himself for trying to send her back to the very room her mother was kidnapped from. "On second thought, why don't you go and sit on the settee and wait for me." Annie nodded, walking to the bench and sitting down.

"Was there something you needed?" Oliver asked, turning back to Jack.

"No, sir, I just wanted to say," Jack began to twist the cap in his hand more forcefully. "I mean, that is," he broke off again, looking at Oliver helplessly.

"Jack, it's all right, this wasn't your fault," Oliver said, putting his hand on the man's arm.

"But, if I had just followed Sandy when he ran off or investigated when he wouldn't stop whining, we might have caught whoever it was that did this," Jack said. "Sandy's never acted like that before, I should have known something was wrong." Oliver shook his head.

"The man that we're dealing with Jack, he's ruthless and a bit crazy too, in my opinion. If you had interfered, you would have probably been hurt, or worse," Oliver said gravely. "I'm just glad Annie was with you and you kept her safe. No apologies needed." Jack looked at his employer for a moment, then nodded. He turned to go, but stopped with his hand on the handle of the terrace door.

"But sir, if this man is as dangerous as you say," Jack trailed off, but Oliver knew exactly what he meant.

"I will find her," Oliver said darkly. "And he will pay for what he's done, make no mistake." With that he nodded to Jack and turned to collect his daughter. Jack watched the two of them as they walked up the stairs, thinking that he was very glad he had never found reason to be on the receiving end of Mr. Warbucks' temper.

* * *

><p>Later that evening, Oliver sat in his office, a glass of brandy in his hand. Annie was tucked into his and Grace's bed, Sandy keeping guard at her feet. The dog had not been far from his young mistress the entire day. Looking at the dog's expression, Oliver almost felt as if Sandy thought he had failed one family member and would not do so with another.<p>

Annie had been absolutely terrified with the thought of sleeping in her own room and Oliver couldn't blame her, so he had given in on her request to sleep in his room. Oliver would sleep on the couch in his sitting room or perhaps he wouldn't sleep at all, given the thoughts that were running through his head. He couldn't understand why he hadn't gotten a ransom note or a call from Bennett yet. Grace had been missing for almost 24 hours now, if Sandy's outburst were indeed the time she was taken. He would have expected Bennett to have contacted him by now. As Oliver's thoughts began to turn darker, he heard voices downstairs and knew that Elizabeth had arrived.

"Oliver," Elizabeth said, pulling him into a hug when he had reached the bottom of the stairs. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm all right," Oliver replied, hugging her back. "Thank you again for coming."

"There's no need for thanks," she said pulling back from him and searching his face as if looking for something. "How's Annie?"

"Sleeping, finally," Oliver said. "I had a hard time getting her to drift off."

"I'm not surprised," Elizabeth said, shaking her head sadly. "That poor child, I can't even imagine what must be going on in her head."

"Mary, how are you?" Oliver asked, turning to his niece who looked to be almost asleep on her feet.

"I'm fine Uncle Oliver, thank you," she said before yawning widely. "Sorry." She blushed and put a hand over her mouth, but Oliver just chuckled.

"Come on, why don't the two of you head up to your rooms," Oliver said, picking up Elizabeth's suitcase. "We've put you in the same ones as last time." Mary and Elizabeth followed Oliver, the Asp coming along as well with Mary's suitcase. Once Oliver had deposited the two women in their rooms, he told Elizabeth he would be heading back to his office after checking in on Annie. Elizabeth said she would meet him there once she got Mary into bed.

About fifteen minutes later, Elizabeth joined Oliver in his office. She took his offer of brandy and sat down next to him on the sofa, watching him swirl the drink in his glass.

"Now that we're alone, tell me how you really are," Elizabeth said quietly.

"I'm," Oliver paused, as if searching for the word he wanted. "Coping," he finally said, staring at the rim of his glass.

"No one expects you to, you know," Elizabeth said, taking a sip of her drink. He looked at her and gave her a sad smile.

"I don't have a choice Elizabeth. I have to keep it together for Annie. She needs me," Oliver said simply.

"Annie's not here now, Oliver, it's all right to let go," Elizabeth reached forward and put her hand on Oliver's forearm. He looked up at his sister and allowed his mask to fall for just a moment. She saw the anguish and pain on his face before he slammed it back into place, rising from the sofa and walking slowly around the room.

"It's better if I don't, keeps me focused," he said, looking anywhere but at Elizabeth. She rose from the sofa and walked to him, setting her glass on the desk as she went. She put a hand to his arm again and looked up at him. He smiled at her and tried to turn away, but she kept a grip on his arm. His mouth began to tremble and Elizabeth put her arms around him. Oliver stood rigid for a second, then pulled her to him in a fierce hug and clenched his teeth as the tears began to fall from his eyes. Elizabeth felt his body shake as he finally allowed himself to give in to the terror and grief he had felt since he opened the note in Pittsburgh. When he was spent, Elizabeth led him back to the sofa and the two sat quietly, Elizabeth's arm still around Oliver, her head resting on his shoulder.

"She'll be all right, Oliver," Elizabeth said. "Grace is the strongest woman I know, she can take care of herself."

"Normally, I'd agree with you, but it's not just herself she has to take care of now," Oliver said. "Elizabeth, what am I going to do if she, or the baby, I just can't," he broke off, shuddering and Elizabeth gave him a light squeeze.

"Don't think about that now, I know we're going to find her. She'll be fine and so will the baby," Elizabeth insisted. Oliver took Elizabeth's hand and squeezed it.

"I hope you're right," he said, quietly. "I hope to god you're right."


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N - Next chapter already! Longer than usual, but lots going on. Next chapter is well underway, but I will most likely not be posting it until Monday as per usual. I want to get a bit of a start on the chapter after that as well, just to make sure a few points make sense and are in the right place. Thanks to all who are reading and to those who have reviewed! **

Grace lay in bed in the wee hours of the morning wondering who she was going to wake up to take her to the bathroom. There was no running water in this, whatever this place was. There was an outhouse outside that the other man had taken her to the night before. Grace had been awake for almost an hour now and knew she would have to wake someone up very soon or she would be lying in a puddle. Given the state of the bed she was in, Grace had no desire to add to its grime. She was thankful that they had kept her wrapped in the quilt from Annie's bed when they had taken her. At least it put a barrier between her and what seemed to try and pass for sheets.

Sighing deeply, Grace sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She kept the quilt wrapped around herself as the cabin was quite cold. There was a fireplace in the main room, but its warmth didn't seem to reach back to the bedroom. As she stood, her stomach rumbled loudly and she wondered if they would give her any more to eat this morning. She had only gotten one meal yesterday, if you could call it that, a small bowl of soup and half a piece of bread.

As she stepped into the main room, she saw William sprawled out on the couch, snoring. The other man, whose name she did not yet know, was sitting at the table, his head in his hand seemingly asleep. Grace toyed with the idea of running, but she had noticed it had grown rather cold outside, much colder than it had been the last few weeks. It almost felt like January rather than April and Grace had no idea where they were. She didn't know how far she would have to walk before she found someone to help her.

If only she knew where the keys to the car were, she had seen it parked next to the cabin when the other man had taken her to the outhouse the night before. She moved quietly into the room, looking around to see if she could see them anywhere. Figuring that one of them had the keys in their pockets, she didn't expect to find anything, but when she looked at the fireplace, she saw something silver glinting on the mantel. All thoughts of the bathroom forgotten, Grace stole quietly across the room.

Sure enough there was a set of keys on the mantel. Grace's heart leapt at the thought that she might actually be able to escape. Looking back at the two men and seeing that neither had moved, she reached up and picked up the keys, careful not to let them jingle together. She clutched the keys in her left hand and began to pick her way slowly to the door. She hoped against hope that the hinges on the door wouldn't squeak and that she could get to the car before either of the men woke up. There was no way she could outrun either of them, she would have to get to the car without making any noise.

As Grace reached for the doorknob, she felt hot breath behind her ear. She looked down to see a hand on top of her own.

"Going somewhere, sweetheart?" Bennett whispered in her ear. Grace shuddered as he pressed himself firmly against her back, the hand that was not on hers gripping her left arm painfully.

"Yes, I just, needed to use the bathroom," Grace said, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

"And you needed the car keys to do that, did you?" Bennett asked, his chin on her shoulder, side of his face pressed against hers. Grace felt bile rise in her throat and forced herself not to shudder again. Bennett moved the hand that was on her left arm down to her wrist and squeezed until she cried out, dropping the keys onto the floor. He then grabbed her right arm and wrenched it from the door knob, yanking her around to face him. He gripped her face in his hand and squeezed until Grace's eyes started to water.

"Please," she whispered.

"Bennett, what the hell are you doing?" The other man had awoken when Grace had cried out and was now crossing the room towards them. Bennett let go of Grace's face, but kept ahold of her arm.

"What you were _supposed_ to be doing, Talbot," he sneered. "If I hadn't woken up, she might have been halfway back to the city by now. It was your shift."

"She was asleep," the man named Talbot said vaguely.

"Listen to me Talbot, if this deal goes south because of you, you're going to have a lot more than the police to worry about," Bennett growled, letting go of Grace and taking a step closer to Talbot.

"Me?" Talbot retorted, moving in so he was nose to nose with Bennett. "What about you? I don't think Warbucks is going to pay up for damaged goods."

"Excuse me," Grace said loudly, interrupting what looked like it could become a very loud, and possibly physical, argument. "If you boys are done bickering with each other, I really do need to use the bathroom." Both men turned to her looking incredulous, but it was Bennett that laughed.

"You know, I think I might like you," Bennett said, as he stepped back towards Grace. "You got spunk." He smiled evilly as he inched closer to her. Grace forced herself to hold her ground, although everything in her was screaming to run.

"Yes, well, be that as it may, unless you want to be cleaning up the floor, one of you had better escort me to the bathroom," Grace said, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Escort her, hear that Talbot? She wants someone to _escort_ her," Bennett laughed again. "You do it, since you are still on watch." Bennett turned and flopped back onto the sofa, closing his eyes and throwing his arm over them. Talbot grumbled, but came and took Grace by the arm all the same. Before he opened the door, Grace noticed a set of boots by the door.

"Do you mind if I put these on?" Grace asked as he looked down at the satin slippers on her feet. "It is rather cold outside." Talbot rolled his eyes, but didn't protest, so Grace slipped her feet into the boots before he opened the door. They were much too large for her, but when Talbot opened the door and the cold wind sliced through her, she was glad she had decided to wear them.

The two made the short walk to the outhouse and Grace handed Talbot the quilt she had wrapped around herself before she went inside. When she finished and came back out, she thought she heard something in the woods to the side of the outhouse. A twig snapped and she could have sworn she saw a shadow in the trees, but when she looked again, it was gone. Probably just a deer or something, Grace thought. She glanced at Talbot out of the corner of her eye, but he hadn't seemed to have noticed anything, he simply looked bored. Grace took the quilt back and wrapped it around herself once again and the pair trudged back into the cabin.

* * *

><p>Oliver sat at the dining room table drinking coffee. He had not slept much at all, simply dozed on and off throughout the night. After Annie had two nightmares that she woke up screaming from, Oliver had ended up sitting propped against the headboard of his bed, his daughter snuggled into his side. It seemed the only way to prevent the bad dreams from returning and not just Annie's.<p>

Drake came into the dining room with the paper, Oliver having instructed Drake to bring it to him as soon as it arrived, so he could see the story on Grace. As Oliver unfolded it, an envelope fell out. Oliver looked to Drake and then back to the envelope. His name was scrawled across the front, in the same messy handwriting that had adorned the note in Pittsburgh. Oliver slit it open and pulled out a single sheet of paper. Once again, typewritten in the middle of the page, the note contained just a single sentence.

**_$1 million cash and control of the Pittsburgh factory returned to the Bennett family, in the name of Laura Bennett, will be in touch soon._**

"Call the police Drake," Oliver instructed quietly. Drake nodded and left the room just as Elizabeth entered. She took one look at her brother and knew that something had happened.

"Oliver, what is it?" she asked alarmed.

"Ransom note," Oliver said, sliding it across the table to her. Elizabeth picked it up and gasped as she read the amount of money that was asked for.

"Have you called the police?" she asked.

"Drake just left to do so," Oliver said, scrubbing a hand down his face.

"Can you get, I mean do you have," Elizabeth broke off, her face reddening. She knew he brother was rich, but a million dollars was an unfathomable amount of money to her.

"Yes, the money I can get, it will take most of the day, but it won't be a problem," Oliver said, looking down at the note again. "I don't understand the bit about the factory though. Why would Bennett want it transferred to his mother?"

"Well, he can't very well sit and run a company if he's wanted for kidnapping, now can he?" Elizabeth said simply.

"Yes, I suppose you're right," Oliver replied.

"How did the note get here, it obviously wasn't mailed," Elizabeth said, her brow furrowing.

"No, it was stuck in the newspaper, right next to the story about Grace," Oliver said wryly. "How's that for ironic."

"But Oliver, that means one of them was here, doesn't it?" Elizabeth asked, clearly worried that Bennett had been near the house again. Oliver shrugged.

"Maybe, I guess we'll let the police figure that one out," he replied.

"Doesn't that bother you?" Elizabeth asked, as Annette came into the room and set a cup of coffee down in front of her.

"If Bennett gets into this house again," Oliver said his face hardening and his voice becoming threatening. "I'll make damn sure he wishes he hadn't."

* * *

><p>When the police arrived and were given the note and told how it turned up, they went on a search for the paper boy. After finding and questioning him, they discovered that he had been paid $10 to put the note inside the newspaper. The description given by the boy matched that of Charlie Talbot, so it seemed he was still working with Bennett.<p>

Oliver debated on contacting the press again and giving them the information about who had taken Grace. In the end, he decided against it, not wanting to tip off any of Bennett's other possible associates before either Walt or the police had time to question them. So far, the police had turned up no new information and Walt had not called Oliver back with anything either.

The waiting was getting to him and the fact that he had had little to no sleep the night before wasn't helping. He tried to eat when Mrs. Pugh served him and Elizabeth breakfast, but he couldn't stomach more than a few bites of toast. He saw Elizabeth looking at him in concern but she was distracted when Mary and Annie came into the room. Mary was dressed, but Annie was still in her nightgown. Oliver could see that Annie had been crying and as soon as she caught sight of him, she ran into his arms. Oliver picked her up and set her on his lap.

"What's the matter sweetheart?" he asked.

"I woke up and you weren't there," Annie accused. "I looked for you but I couldn't find you. I thought the bad man came and took you too." Oliver's heart broke and he hugged the little girl to him. He looked to Mary, question on his face.

"I found her wandering in the hall when I was coming down to breakfast," Mary said. Then she turned to Annie and put a hand on her back. "I told you that your dad and my mum were probably already up and I was right, wasn't I?" Annie peeked out from Oliver's shoulder and nodded. "See, nothing to worry about." Mary gave Annie a bright smile which Annie tentatively returned. Oliver mouthed a thank you to Mary over Annie's head and Mary nodded, sitting down beside her mother and beginning to fill her plate from the platters and bowls on the table. Oliver rubbed Annie's back for a few more minutes, then took her chin gently in his hand.

"I promise you, the bad man is not going to come back and get me," Oliver said gravely. "And if I need to leave the house and you're sleeping, I'll make sure someone is in the room with you when you wake up. Otherwise, I'll always be in the house somewhere, all right?" Annie nodded and hugged Oliver again before sliding off his lap and going and sitting down in her chair. Before she could begin to put any food on her plate, Mrs. Pugh came into the dining room, a platter stacked high with pancakes in her hand.

"Ah, I thought I heard your voice out here," she said, smiling at Annie. "Fresh blueberry pancakes, hot off the griddle." She set the platter next to Annie's plate.

"Oh boy, my favorite!" Annie exclaimed before digging into the stack and beginning to pile pancakes onto her plate. Oliver chuckled as Mrs. Pugh looked up at him.

"Thank you Mrs. Pugh," he said, genuine smile on his face. She nodded at him, her eyes bright and turned back to the kitchen.

"While you finish up your breakfast, I need to go and make some phone calls," Oliver said to Annie, who looked up at him and nodded. "Elizabeth, would you?"

"Of course," Elizabeth said, then turned to Annie. "How about after breakfast, you show me all that work you've done in the garden. You father tells me you're a very big help to Jack." Annie nodded excitedly and continued to dig into her breakfast. Oliver grasped Elizabeth's shoulder, giving her a slight squeeze. She patted his hand and smiled at him. Annie would be in good hands for the morning.

* * *

><p>Grace sat on the bed, rubbing her belly. The baby had been relatively quiet, only a few small kicks here and there and Grace was a bit concerned about this. Normally so active that Grace rarely got more than an hour or two of uninterrupted sleep, she couldn't help but wonder about the change.<p>

She wrapped the quilt more tightly around herself and shivered a bit once again. The last time she had been taken out to the outhouse, it had gotten markedly colder and the sky had grown very gray. The cabin seemed to be remarkably solid, but the room she was now locked in was still very chilly.

Apparently, her kidnappers had tired of her constant requests because after the last time she was led to the bathroom, Bennett had given her a bucket and told her not to bother him again, before locking the door to her room behind him. After the piece of bread she was given early that morning, she had not been given anything else to eat or drink. Her request for at least a glass of water was denied, saying she would just have to go to the bathroom that much more often if she drank anything.

Grace allowed her thoughts to drift to Oliver and Annie. She wondered how they were coping, if Oliver had gotten anyone to help him. She assumed he had called Elizabeth and she was sure that Elizabeth would have come as soon as she could. She hoped that Annie wasn't too upset, especially since Grace had been taken from Annie's room. Grace vacillated between being glad she had let Annie go to Molly's and wishing she had settled things between them instead. On the one hand, Annie spending the night in the cottage had prevented her from being the one here in this horrible place, but on the other, Grace knew that Annie was probably feeling terribly guilty for the words she had spoken to Grace that night. Grace's heart ached for her daughter and for her husband. She longed for Oliver's arms around her and for Annie's sweet smile and giggling laugh. A tear ran down Grace's cheek as she drifted off to sleep, a plea on her lips.

"Find me Oliver," she whispered. "Please find me."

* * *

><p>Oliver jolted awake on the sofa in his office. He had sat down to rest for a few minutes after calling Walt to see if he had been able to discover anything new, and he must have drifted off. Oliver had been dreaming of Grace again and she was begging him to find her. Oliver slammed his fist down on the arm of the sofa. He felt so helpless. He wanted to be out there, searching for her, but he had no idea where to start. Damn William Bennett to all the fiery pits of hell and back.<p>

The police had questioned Oliver's closest neighbors, but no one had seen or heard anything, which wasn't surprising given the size of Oliver's estate. They had been in contact with some of the other men on the list of laid off workers, but so far had learned nothing new. None of them seemed to have any contact with Bennett or Talbot and Talbot had no family either. It seemed as if everything was at a standstill and Oliver felt as if he would go crazy if they didn't get some kind of information soon. There had been quite a few calls in response to the newspaper article about Grace, but of course, most of them were just people looking for the money. No one had any real information as of yet. The police chief had assured Oliver it was just a matter of time before they got some real information they could use, but Oliver didn't feel any better about it.

Just as he had made the decision to go and find Annie, the phone rang in his office. Oliver answered gruffly, not wanting to deal with business right now.

"Ah, ah, ah, Warbucks, I would think you would be a little more friendly with me, seeing as I've got something precious of yours," Bennett said mockingly.

"Bennett," Oliver spat. "Where the hell is my wife?"

"Now, now, just calm down Oliver," Bennett said, his voice syrupy sweet. "Wouldn't want to give me a reason to be anything other than charming to the little woman." With great difficulty, Oliver attempted to reign in his temper.

"What do you want?" he asked, in a slightly less infuriated tone.

"How's that million coming along?" Bennett asked.

"You'll get your money, just tell me when and where," Oliver replied.

"And how about the factory transfer?" Bennett continued.

"My attorney is working on the papers right now," Oliver said.

"Well, you've been a very good boy, Oliver, a very good boy," Bennett said. Oliver wanted to smash his fist into the man's face.

"If I've been so good, why don't you reward me and let me talk to my wife," Oliver said, holding back the growl in his voice.

"Sorry, Warbucks, no can do," Bennett responded. "She's not with me at the moment."

"Then how do I know you even have her?" Oliver asked, anger back in his voice.

"I guess you'll just have to trust me, now won't you," Bennett said laughing. "I'll be in touch Warbucks."

Oliver hung up the phone, anger boiling in his veins. He paced his office, trying to calm himself down, but nothing was working. Turning, he picked up one of the glasses on the sideboard and threw it at the wall. The glass shattered with a satisfying crash and Oliver picked up another to hurl it as well, when the door to the office slammed open, Elizabeth framed in the doorway.

"What happened?" she exclaimed, as Oliver lowered his arm and set the glass back down. She glanced from Oliver to the shattered glass and back again, then crossed to Oliver. "What else happened?" Oliver sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face.

"I got a phone call from Bennett," he growled out.

"Well that explains that," she said, glancing back towards the glass on the floor. "What did he want?"

"To taunt me mostly," Oliver said. "And to check and make sure I had gotten all his little requests." He sat down on the sofa, suddenly very tired.

"I'll go and have Drake call the police and find someone to clean this up," Elizabeth said, giving Oliver a smile before she left the room. Oliver watched her go before leaning back and closing his eyes again.

"I'm sorry Grace," he whispered to the empty room. "I'm trying darling, I'm trying."

* * *

><p>Grace woke from her short nap and knew something was wrong. There was a sharp pain in her back and the baby felt even heavier than usual, if that was possible. She sat up in the bed and winced as the pain stabbed through her back again.<p>

"Probably this ridiculous excuse for a mattress," Grace said to her herself. She tried to stretch but it was very difficult given the size of her middle. Hoping that walking around a bit might help, she held onto the iron headboard for support and hauled herself to her feet. Groaning a bit as her back protested the new position, Grace slowly began to walk around the room. Her belly felt as if it was hanging significantly lower and Grace's brow furrowed in confusion. Before she could fully contemplate this however, she felt a pop and then her legs were soaking wet. Grace stared in horror at the puddle that was quickly forming between her feet.

"Oh no," she whispered. "No, no, no, this is not happening." Grace clutched at her stomach. "No, not now, please, not here." Grace waited, hoping that she was wrong, that this was somehow something else. But a few minutes later a small pain rippled through her and she knew. Sinking back down onto the bed and putting her face in her hands, Grace knew. She was in labor.

* * *

><p>Oliver walked slowly down to the dining room for lunch. He had heard nothing new from either the police or Walt and he had not heard from Bennett again with arrangements for the drop off of the ransom. He knew Annie would have questions and had shamefully been avoiding her the entire morning, instead hiding in his office and pretending he was making phone calls and working on getting the ransom together. He cursed himself for not being able to face his daughter and vowed that he would spend the afternoon with her, unless something critical came up.<p>

He entered the dining room to find Elizabeth, Mary and Annie already at the table. Annie's face lit up when she saw him and she ran and took his hand.

"Have they found her yet? Is Mom coming home now?" she asked excitedly, looking up at Oliver hopefully.

"No sweetheart, I'm sorry," Oliver replied, squatting down in front of her. "The police are working very hard on it though, I'm sure she'll be back before much longer." Annie's face had fallen at Oliver's first words and her lower lip was now trembling.

"Hey, none of that now," Oliver said gently, putting a finger under her chin and tipping her head up to look at him. "We have to stay strong for your mother, all right?" Annie nodded and Oliver hugged her.

"Okay Daddy, I'll try," Annie said, wiping away the single tear that had escaped from her eye.

"Good girl," Oliver said as he stood. "How about a swim after lunch?" Annie nodded again, smile on her face and Oliver took her hand and led her back to the table. After he sat down, he glanced at Elizabeth who reached out and squeezed his hand where it lay on the table. Oliver tried to smile at her, but when he failed, she just nodded her head as if she understood and squeezed his hand again.

* * *

><p>Grace pounded on the door to the bedroom again, calling out for the men who were holding her captive. Finally after almost five minutes, the door was wrenched open and William Bennett stood on the other side.<p>

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked menacingly, walking into the room and forcing Grace to back up quickly.

"You need to take me to a hospital," Grace said, forcing herself to look him in the eye instead of cowering away from him.

"Oh really, and why in hell would I do that?" he asked, smirking at her.

"Because my water just broke," she replied very matter-of-factly.

"Come again?" he said, clearly having no idea what she was talking about.

"I'm in labor," she said slowly as if explaining something to a very small child. "My baby, it's coming." He looked at her in surprise for a minute, then snorted.

"Uh-huh, sure it is," he said looking amused. Grace crossed her arms in front of her.

"I'm not joking," she said huffily.

"Look, even if you were ready to pop out the kid, which I know you're not, there's no way I would be taking you to a hospital," he told her. "Do you think I'm completely stupid?"

"Well, I don't know. You did manage to kidnap the wrong person after all." The second the words left her mouth, Grace knew she had made a mistake. The expression on Bennett's face turned feral and he very nearly snarled. He stepped as close to her as her belly would allow, gripping her arms roughly and brought his face to within an inch of hers.

"You listen to me sweetheart and you listen good," Bennett hissed. "I got no problems dumping you and going back for the kid like I planned in the first place. In fact, I bet Warbucks would pay double for her, after I dropped your corpse on his doorstep. So you better watch yourself." He stared at Grace and gripped her arms so hard, that in order to keep from crying out, Grace squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lower lip, drawing blood. Bennett laughed and reached out with a thumb, smearing the blood around on her lips. Grace's eyes flew open in shock and she saw the look in his eye. It was at that moment that she realized he was truly crazy and fear gripped her. An angry man she knew how to deal with, a crazy one she did not.

Bennett stared at her for a few seconds then began to walk slowly around her, still holding on to one of her arms. When he got behind her, he pressed himself up against her like he had when she was trying to escape. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and while Grace tried to contain it, she couldn't help but shudder.

"Scared of me now, aren't you," Bennett whispered into her ear. "That's good, I like 'em scared." He rubbed his nose up the side of her neck. It took every ounce of Grace's willpower not to allow the tears she could feel gathering in her eyes to fall. Her mind kept flashing back to Elizabeth and the horrors Bennett had put her through. She forced herself to remain as still as possible and say nothing. Bennett brought up his other hand and rubbed it across her belly as Grace tried to recoil from him. But she couldn't move, he held her too tightly.

"It's too bad that there's this between us," he said, patting her middle. "We could have had some fun otherwise. Show you what a real man is like." He ground himself against her back and Grace knew she was going to vomit. Knew it with the same surety that she had known she was in labor. She also knew that if she did, he would do worse than just bruise her arms. She tried to swallow it down and tried to bring a hand up to her mouth, but they were still held fast against her sides.

"Please," she gasped. "Sick." Bennett must have realized what was happening because he pushed her away from him roughly. Grace barely made it to the bucket in time, before losing the meager contents of her stomach. He began to laugh maniacally, before turning away from her and walking out the door.

When Grace heard the click of the lock and his footsteps walking away, she gasped out a sob and slowly tried to get up. She crawled over to the bed and using the frame as a support, pulled herself to her feet and lowered herself carefully onto the bed. She rubbed a hand across her belly, pulling in a few shaky breaths. Another pain pulled across her abdomen. She could only hope that Oliver would pay the ransom soon, or she was very worried about what Bennett might do next.

* * *

><p>Oliver and Annie had just left the pool when Drake hurried to Oliver telling him he had an urgent phone call. Elizabeth seemed to materialize out of nowhere, taking Annie by the hand and leading her to her bedroom to change out of her swimming suit. Oliver hurried into the study and picked up the phone there.<p>

"Got my money Warbucks?" Bennett asked.

"I should have it within the hour, yes," Oliver said, glancing at the clock.

"Good," Bennett replied. "What about the factory transfer?"

"Done and ready to go," Oliver said.

"All right, here's what you're going to do," Bennett said. He proceeded to give Oliver the instructions for the ransom drop to take place the following morning. Oliver protested about having to wait until the next day, but Bennett ignored him. "Once I get the money and make sure everything is in order, I'll call you with directions on where you can pick up your wife."

"Is she all right?" Oliver asked his voice a bit panicked. "Let me talk to her, please."

"She's fine, but she won't stay that way if she doesn't learn to keep quiet," Bennett growled. "Got too much of a mouth on her."

"If you touch her Bennett, I'll," Oliver began angrily, but was interrupted before he could finish.

"Oh, I've touched her Warbucks," Bennett said lasciviously. "It's too bad you got her knocked up, she and I could have had some real fun." Oliver was seething, he was gripping the phone so hard he thought he might actually shatter it.

"You just wait you disgusting piece of filth," Oliver snarled. "When this is over, I will find you and I will make you regret you ever touched anyone in my family."

"Promises, promises, Oliver," Bennett chuckled. "And is that any way to talk to the man who holds the fate of your wife and your kid in his hands? You're as mouthy as she is." Oliver said nothing, trying to calm himself down.

"I want you to bring Grace to the drop, I won't give you the money without knowing she's all right," Oliver finally said, albeit through gritted teeth.

"Now, I don't think you are in any position to make demands there Oliver," Bennett said, laughing again. "Like I said, you're just going to have to trust me. Don't be late." And with that he hung up the phone and Oliver was left listening to silence. Oliver dropped the phone back into its cradle and sat staring at it for a moment.

"Damn it," he swore under his breath. "Damn him!" he yelled to the empty room. Dear god, what was Bennett doing to his wife?

* * *

><p>Elizabeth entered the study a bit later to find Oliver on the phone with the police. He had dressed at some point, she must have missed him going upstairs. And he was yelling, which must mean he had not gotten good news from William Bennett. She waited until he had slammed down the phone before she crossed the room and sat down next to him on the sofa.<p>

"What did he say?" she asked.

"A lot of things, not the least of which is that he is not bringing Grace with him when I drop off the money," Oliver spat.

"What? When is he bringing her back then?" Elizabeth asked thoroughly confused.

"He's not," Oliver said. "He's going to give me instructions on where to find her after he makes sure he's gotten everything he wants."

"But then how do you know?" Elizabeth broke off, unable to complete her question.

"I don't," Oliver replied quietly. "Damn it, I don't know anything!" He stood and began to pace, his anger and fear growing as he did so. "He hasn't let me talk to her, I've gotten no proof that he even has her. My god, Elizabeth, I don't even know if she's even still alive at this point!"

Oliver crumpled to his knees in front of his sister, putting his face in his hands and letting out a deep sob. "I don't even know if she's all right," he whispered. Tears began to run down Elizabeth's cheeks as she knelt on the floor next to Oliver. She put her arms around him and hung on tightly, knowing there were no words she could say to reassure him. Because he was right, they were pinning all their hopes on a madman, a monster, and they had no way of knowing if he would devastate them in the end.

There had been no news from the police or Walt. No new leads, no outside information. It was as if Bennett had taken Grace and disappeared off the face of the earth. The longer she was gone, the deeper the fear and helplessness became. Elizabeth knew that Oliver needed some kind of information or conclusion to this nightmare soon or he was going to go off the deep end. When he had finally collected himself, the two moved back to the sofa.

"When are you supposed to bring the money?" Elizabeth asked, hoping for a resolution to all of this today.

"Tomorrow morning," Oliver said sighing. "I told him I had everything ready, but he insisted on tomorrow for some reason. I don't understand it and I don't like it."

"But, there's not much you can do about it," Elizabeth said, feeling discouraged.

"No, unfortunately, there's not," Oliver agreed. "I just hope Grace can hold on a little longer."

"That might not be necessary," a voice said from behind the pair. The two whirled around on the sofa to see Drake escorting someone into the room. Their mouths dropped open at almost exactly the same time as they both stared at the man Drake had brought in.

"I'm sorry to disturb the two of you sir, but he insisted," Drake said apologetically. "He says he has news of Mrs. Warbucks." At this statement, Oliver looked at the man standing in his study with even more incredulousness on his face. He couldn't even close his mouth long enough to say anything. It was Elizabeth who recovered first.

"D-Dad?" she said weakly. "What, what are you doing here?" Henry Warbucks turned to his daughter as if just noticing she was in the room.

"Elizabeth!" he exclaimed, rushing to her and pulling her off the sofa and into his arms. The two embraced for a few seconds before Oliver jumped up from the sofa and pulled his father away from his sister.

"How dare you," he spat into the man's face. "How dare you come here and use my wife's disappearance as a way to worm yourself into my family."

"Oliver," Henry said, holding up his hands as if to placate his son. Oliver took a step closer to his father, the anger he had been feeling all day reaching its boiling point. He grabbed the man by the collar of his jacket.

"Get. Out!" Oliver hissed through clenched teeth, his face red and vein in his temple throbbing.

"Oliver, listen to me," Henry began, but before he could say anything else, Oliver grabbed him by the arm and towed him forcefully to the door. They were met outside the door by Punjab who took one look at his employer and pulled Henry away from him, less to help Oliver than for Henry's own good.

"I said GET OUT!" Oliver roared, as Punjab began to lead Henry back to the front door. Henry was trying to pull himself from the bodyguard's grasp and Elizabeth was standing in the doorway of the study, tears streaming down her face. Mary and Annie had heard the commotion and stood at the top of the stairs looking down upon the scene before them. Annie had gripped Mary's hand and began to whimper as she took in the look on her father's face. Oliver looked as if he could murder someone with his bare hands. Mrs. Pugh had come out of the kitchen and began to make her way across the entryway to the stairs where Annie stood. Just before Punjab and Henry reached the front door, Henry called out to Oliver once again.

"Oliver, please, I know where she is," he yelled. "I know where Grace is!"

Everyone in the entrance hall went completely silent at this declaration. No one moved, in fact, most didn't even breathe. Oliver stared at his father, as the fury that had been building inside of him all day flared to almost epic proportions. If his father knew where Grace was, that could mean only one thing. He had been in on the plan to take her. It all made sense now. Bennett and Talbot had never been inside his house, how could they have known where Annie's room was? But his father had been, twice in fact.

Oliver saw and heard nothing as he strode toward his father. Not the calls from Elizabeth or the shout from Punjab. Not the pleas from Mrs. Pugh or the words from the man in front of him. All Oliver saw was red, blinding rage as his fist connected with his father's jaw. As the man crumpled to the ground, Oliver drew back his fist to hit him again when a plaintive wail made him pause.

He turned around to see Annie standing a few feet behind him, sobs wracking her small body and a look of terror on her face. He reached out a hand and took a step toward her, but Annie stepped back, a wariness in her eyes that not only instantly drained all the anger from him, but replaced it with the deepest sense of shame Oliver had ever experienced. His daughter was afraid of him. Oliver sucked in a breath, forcing the tension from his limbs.

"Annie, I," Oliver began, reaching out to her once more, but Annie hid herself in Mrs. Pugh's skirts, refusing to look at her father. Mrs. Pugh gave him a withering glare as she bent down the little girl.

"Come on dear, let's go to the kitchen. I think you could use some warm milk." Taking Annie by the hand, the pair turned and walked away, Annie never once looking back at Oliver.

Oliver turned to the others in the room, seeing the Asp and Drake helping his father to stand, both employees refusing to meet his gaze. A small line of blood ran from the corner of Henry's mouth and he slowly wiped it off with the back of his hand, as he looked cautiously at Oliver. Mary had run to her mother at some point during the outburst and was crying softly, Elizabeth's arm around her, shielding Mary's face with her body. Elizabeth herself looked murderous as she glanced up at Oliver, but the tone of her murmurs to Mary remained quiet and soothing. Oliver turned and locked eyes with Punjab and the look he saw there was nothing Oliver had ever expected to see, disappointment and pity.

Oliver looked around at all of them once more before mustering enough strength to walk quickly from the room. He reached his study and quietly closed the door behind him. And then he sank down onto the sofa, elbows on his knees and face in his hands and wept.

* * *

><p><strong>AN 2 - Just a quick note about Oliver's outburst and Annie's reaction because I know they both seem a bit extreme - Beside the fact that the anger has been building all day, Oliver hates to feel helpless, it makes him feel weak, hence he goes off the deep end. As for Annie's reaction, yes she's seen his temper before and it has never seemed to affect her much, but this situation is different. She has no idea who Henry is, she's never met him. All she knows is that he says he knows where her mother is and in response, Oliver punches him, not to mention the fact that she is upset herself and feeling guilty about what she said to Grace. As for whether Henry was involved in the kidnapping, that you'll have to wait to find out. ;)**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N - Next chapter! Glad I could load this today, FF has been having issues, I've been having a hard time getting into my account all weekend and sometimes I can't get on the site at all. Anyway, I have a couple other things to add, but I'll post them down at the bottom. Enjoy! **

* * *

><p>Some time later, Oliver heard the door to the study open. He was still in the same position on the sofa, although he had long since finished crying, and was now only contemplating how horribly he had reacted earlier. Not glancing up, he nevertheless recognized the nearly silent tread of his bodyguard.<p>

"Sahib," Punjab began, but Oliver cut him off before he could continue.

"I'm not much in the mood for a lecture, thank you," Oliver said tiredly, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands.

"And I am not much in the mood to deliver one," Punjab replied. "Especially not after the tale your father has divulged to me." Oliver looked up at this statement. He was unsure if by 'tale' Punjab meant 'crazy lie' or 'potentially relevant story'. Sometimes, one never could tell with Punjab.

"So, he's still here is he?" Oliver asked, but strangely this didn't make him angry. In fact he felt nothing at all.

"Indeed," Punjab replied. "And I think it would be wise for you to hear him out on what he came here to say." Oliver sighed.

"To be perfectly honest, Punjab, I am not really in the mood," Oliver said.

"Oh, I think you might be, once you have heard his story," Punjab said. Curiosity piqued, Oliver turned to look at Punjab. The man looked at stoic as ever, not giving away anything with the expression on his face. Oliver sighed again.

"Fine, bring him in," Oliver said reluctantly. Punjab nodded and left the room. Almost instantly, Oliver heard someone enter again and looked up surprised at the swiftness of Punjab's return. However, it was not Punjab and his father, but Elizabeth that stood in the doorway. Oliver turned away from her, face reddening in embarrassment. She said nothing, simply walked across the room until she stood in front of him. After a few moments he finally looked up at her, unable to stand her staring at him for another minute. He was rewarded with a stinging slap across the face.

"What the devil was that for?" he asked, rubbing his cheek.

"For being such an ass," Elizabeth spat angrily. "Honestly Oliver, do you even _stop_ to think before you react?"

"What are you talking about?" he grumbled, the sting in his cheek rather painful.

"I'm talking about Dad, you complete idiot," she retorted. "And I'm talking about Annie and Mary and everyone else who was witness to your pathetic display."

"Annie, is she all right?" Oliver asked his heart clenching. Elizabeth saw the look on his face and seemed to soften a bit.

"She'll be fine," Elizabeth responded. "Cecile took her and Mary down to their cottage to play with Molly. She's upset of course, but I think the distraction will do her some good."

"I know that I overreacted," Oliver began, but Elizabeth cut him off with a snort.

"Overreacted?" she said wryly. "I'd say that's a bit of an understatement, given what Dad had to say."

"I don't know what you mean," Oliver said confused. Elizabeth sighed and sat down next to him on the sofa.

"Oliver, I know you are crazy with worry right now and because of that I can forgive your lapse in judgment, but when Punjab brings Dad in here, you need to listen to him," Elizabeth said quietly. "Just close your mouth and sit and _listen_. Promise me." Oliver glowered at Elizabeth, but nodded his head all the same.

"Fine, I'll listen," he acquiesced. "But if I find out he had _anything_ to do with Grace's disappearance, I'll," Elizabeth held up a hand before he could continue.

"This is what I was talking about," she said. "He had nothing to do with it, trust me." Oliver merely grunted and before Elizabeth could reply, Punjab reentered the room, Henry behind him. Elizabeth looked at Oliver pointedly as Henry walked to the armchair next to the sofa. Oliver sighed before looking up at his father and motioning him to the chair. Elizabeth gave Oliver another look and he glared at her, before turning to Henry.

"I'm sorry that I reacted the way that I did," Oliver said. "It was, uncalled for." Henry just shook his head, waving off the apology.

"I understand," Henry said. "And I deserved it anyway." Elizabeth opened her mouth to protest, but Henry held up a hand to stop her.

"Not for this situation, no," Henry said. "But Elizabeth, you know that punch was a long time in coming." Elizabeth shook her head in exasperation, but said nothing.

"Punjab told me you had something to tell me," Oliver said tightly, trying to reign in his anger once again.

"As I said, I know where Grace is," Henry began and Oliver's jaw clenched, the vein in his temple beginning to throb once more. Elizabeth laid a hand on his shoulder and gave him a look. Oliver gave her a clipped nod and turned his attention back to Henry.

"I don't know if Grace told you, but I live in a cabin up in the woods," Henry said and Oliver nodded. "Well, this morning I was up early hunting, hoping to find a deer or something. There are quite a few cabins up in the area, most of them aren't used year round, just for hunting or getaways in the summer. Anyway, I was tracking a deer and came pretty close to one of the other cabins. I was surprised because there was smoke coming from the chimney and this particular place looked pretty much abandoned, it was falling apart and such, so it seemed odd that someone would be there. I got a little closer and as I was standing there watching, I saw a man and a woman come out of the front door." Oliver sat up straighter at this news, his eyes widening.

"He seemed to be leading her to the outhouse, it was barely light and I couldn't see much except these huge, ridiculous boots on her feet," Henry continued. "Anyway, I stepped up so I was closer to the outhouse and when she came out, I stepped on a twig. She must have heard it because she turned toward me. It was Grace, Oliver." Oliver gasped and he leaned forward and grabbed his father's arm.

"You're sure, you're positive it was her?" he asked and Henry nodded.

"I didn't know what was going on, what Grace was doing there," Henry said. "I watched the place for a while and saw the man leave shortly after. I got up closer and peeked in a window and saw another one inside. I didn't see Grace anywhere, but I didn't like the feel of the whole thing, so I hurried back to my cabin. I started down to town and by the time I got there the store was open and the newspapers were in. I saw the story on Grace. I thought about going back to try and get her out, but I'm not as young as I used to be and I didn't want her getting hurt. But I had to make sure I could find the place from the road and not just through the woods, that's why it took me so long to get here. I was going to call the police, but I figured you'd want to know first."

"Let's go then, we have to go and get her," Oliver said, jumping up. "Punjab, tell the Asp to bring the car around." Punjab nodded, leaving the room. "You'll have to give us directions to the cabin," he said, turning back to Henry.

"I'm coming with you," Henry said and Oliver shook his head.

"No, like you said, you're not as young as you used to be," Oliver replied.

"I can't give you directions, I need to be in the car, see the landmarks, it's not a well-marked spot," Henry protested. Oliver looked at him in silence for a few moments, then nodded his head quickly. "All right, let's go."

"Now, wait just a minute," Elizabeth said, as the two prepared to leave the room. "You can't just run off on your own like this. You need to call the police!"

"I'm not going on my own," Oliver said. "Punjab and the Asp will be with me."

"And what if there's more of them, more than just Bennett and Talbot," Elizabeth argued. "What if the others weren't there when Dad saw her?"

"Bennett's not that stupid," Oliver replied, irritated at the delay. "The more people involved, the more likely someone would find out about it. No, I'm sure it's just him and Talbot."

"Oliver, you can't," Elizabeth said, tears choking off the end of her sentence. "Please, wait for the police."

"I can't," Oliver said. "Elizabeth you don't know the things he said to me on the phone that last time. I can't wait, something's not right, I need to go and get her now." Oliver looked at her pleadingly and Elizabeth finally nodded. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Just be careful, please," she begged. "I've only just found you again."

"I will, I promise," Oliver replied, kissing her cheek. Elizabeth turned to her father and hugged him as well.

"That goes double for you," Elizabeth said and he chuckled. Oliver looked to his father as Elizabeth released him from her embrace and extended his hand. Henry looked at him for a moment, then took Oliver's hand in both of his, shaking it and squeezing tightly.

"Thank you," Oliver said quietly and Henry nodded. Then the two men walked out of the room.

As they reached the front door, Oliver heard the clatter of footsteps behind him and turned to see Annie running into the house from the terrace doors. She stopped when she saw him, then looked at his hand on the front door.

"Daddy, where are you going?" she asked tentatively. Oliver turned and approached her slowly. He squatted down a few feet in front of her.

"I know where your mother is," he said. "We're going to get her." Annie looked at him in shock for a moment, then flew into his arms. She began to shake and Oliver held her tightly against him. "I swear to you, I'll bring her back. I'll bring both of them back, I swear it," he whispered in her ear and Annie nodded against his neck. He released her then and Elizabeth came and put an arm around the little girl. Oliver looked at the two of them one last time and nodded. He turned and followed his father out the door and climbed into the waiting car, barely registering the fact that at some point that afternoon it had started to snow.

* * *

><p>Grace lay shivering on the bed. It had gotten markedly colder in the last few hours and she could hear the wind howling outside. The pains were coming faster now, Grace wished there was a clock so she could determine just how fast, but thought they were about every 3 or 4 minutes. They were close to becoming unbearable. She had managed to stay relatively quiet for most of the day, but now whimpers and moans escaped her and with the last one, she had actually cried out. That had brought Talbot to the door of the bedroom, banging on it and telling her to be quiet.<p>

"Please," Grace had called out. "Please, I need to get to a hospital. The pains are getting worse, the baby is coming." Talbot had opened the door and looked in at her lying on the bed, sweat shining on her face. He frowned and came further into the room, studied her for a few minutes and left. Grace could hear the two arguing in the front room.

"I don't know Bennett, she looks pretty bad off," Talbot said. "I think we should move up the ransom drop. I don't understand why you want to wait until tomorrow anyway. The sooner we're out of this hellhole, the better."

"We have to wait until tomorrow for a few more of my plans to fall into place. Otherwise, we won't be getting out of the country before we get caught. Don't fall for it Talbot," Bennett said. "She's just putting on a show. "

"Have you looked at her lately?" Talbot retorted. "If she's putting on a show, she's a damn good actress."

"Look, we're not taking her anywhere," Bennett said. "Even if she does have the kid, so what?"

"What if something happens to the kid?" Talbot argued. "Or to her? What happens to our money then?"

"Well, since we're not taking her to the drop with us, it won't matter now will it?" Bennett said in exasperation. "Even if they both die, Warbucks won't know about it until we're both long gone." The tears began to spill down Grace's cheeks at these words. She was going to have her baby in this horrible place, by herself. And if anything went wrong, she would have no idea what to do. As another contraction washed over her, Grace's tears turned to sobs. The pain was worse now, the worst it had been so far, and unable to help herself, Grace screamed.

* * *

><p>"Faster," Oliver hissed, as the Asp slowed to take a particularly sharp curve. Punjab put a hand on his arm.<p>

"Sahib, it will not help Mrs. if we run off the road," he said gently.

"I know, I know," Oliver replied, sighing and scrubbing a hand down his face. "We have to get to her Punjab. Something's wrong, I can feel it." Punjab nodded, he had been having the same feelings all day. Something was not right in the universe, of that he was certain. Whether it had to do with Mrs. or not, he couldn't say, but he had a very bad feeling that it did.

They continued up the winding road, going deeper into the woods all the time, snow swirling around the windows of the car. Oliver was jumpy, tapping his fingers against the armrest on the door, leaning forward to look out the windshield every few seconds. He could not lose Grace, he would not. And the baby, what would he do if the baby, but he wouldn't think about that now, would just pray that they were both all right. He thought of the anguish on Annie's face when he'd left, the fear that she would lose yet another mother etched there. He had vowed to her that he would bring Grace home safely, bring both of them home safely. He just hoped that it was a promise he could keep.

As they came over the rise of the hill, Oliver saw a cabin. A crude, ramshackle structure, looking as if it had seen better days, days that had been long, long before now. Henry pointed at it, as he turned to Oliver.

"That's the one. That's where I saw her," he said. The Asp turned off the headlights of the car and proceeded slowly up the winding road, although the snow and wind drowned out any hint of their approach. Oliver's hand gripped the door handle, ready to open it and hurl himself out the moment the car stopped. Punjab grabbed his arm, restraining Oliver from moving.

"Sahib, the Asp and I will go first and find Mrs. You wait in the car," Punjab said.

"The hell I will," Oliver growled, meeting Punjab's steely gaze with one of his own. Punjab's hand remained on Oliver's arm for a moment, then he nodded in resignation.

"We go first," Punjab insisted. Oliver grunted in response, which was not an agreement by any means, but all that Punjab was going to get. The Asp parked the car on the side of the road behind a few pine trees, a good 200 feet from the cabin. As the four men stepped out of the car, a scream shattered the stillness of the air. Oliver ran for the front door, all caution from his bodyguards forgotten.

* * *

><p>Bennett flung the door to the bedroom open right after Grace screamed. He stormed to the bed where Grace lay and grabbing her arm, jerked her into a sitting position. Grace shrieked in pain and he backhanded her across the face. She gasped in a breath, her vision starting to blur as she very nearly blacked out. Bennett grasped her wrist and squeezed, digging his fingers into the soft flesh. He brought the other hand up and grabbed her around the throat<p>

"You do that again and you and the kid are both dead," he hissed in her ear. "Understand?" Grace nodded feebly and tried to pull away from him, but the grip he had on her was too strong. He squeezed her throat and she scrabbled at his hand with her free one. Then he flung her away from him back onto the bed as she gasped for air. He stalked back out the door and slammed it behind him. Grace lay gasping on the bed and the realization that she was probably going to die here filled her with terror. Even if she made it through the birth and Oliver paid the ransom, she did not expect that Bennett was going to leave her alive. She sobbed at the thought that she had not been able to say goodbye to Oliver and Annie. She hoped desperately that if the baby made it through the birth that maybe Bennett would have pity and at least leave the baby alive. Although another part of her doubted this very much. As hard as she tried to stay hopeful, the fear was greater and Grace began to shake. The noise of the wind outside made her start and her eyes darted around the room for the source of the noise. Seeing nothing, Grace squeezed her eyes shut and wrapped her arms around her belly, whimpering.

* * *

><p>Oliver made it to the cabin first and raised a leg, kicking the door in. As he stormed into the cabin, Talbot sat up from where he had been lounging on the sofa, incredulous look on his face. Oliver ignored him and scanned the room for Bennett. Oliver saw him walking out of a short hallway and registered the quick look of shock on his face before it was replaced by smugness.<p>

"So, Warbucks," he sneered. "You found us." Oliver said nothing, just rushed to the man and grabbed him around the throat, slamming him into the wall.

"Where is my wife?" Oliver asked through gritted teeth. Bennett smiled despite the fact that Oliver was slowly squeezing the breath out of him.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Bennett managed to grunt out.

"I believe I told you that I would kill you if ever laid a hand on anyone from my family again, that I would kill you with my bare hands," Oliver hissed, squeezing Bennett's throat harder. "I'm not a man to go back on my word." Oliver grinned as Bennett began to clutch at the hand around his neck and squeezed harder. He saw Bennett's eyes begin to roll back in his head and then there was a hand on his arm.

"Don't do this, Oliver," Henry said. "She wouldn't want you to."

"What the hell do you know about what Grace would want?" Oliver snarled, but his grip loosened ever so slightly.

"Because I know," Henry said quietly. "She finds the best in people, even if there isn't much there to find. She found it in you and she saw it in me. How, I'm not really sure, but she did. She wouldn't want you to become a killer. No matter what this bastard did to her, to Elizabeth, she wouldn't want that." Oliver looked at Henry, but still did not let go. "Please son, leave him to the police. Let him rot in jail for the rest of his miserable life. Don't let him get out of it this easily. Be a father to your daughter, to that baby that's coming. Don't do this." Henry pulled at Oliver's arm and Oliver slowly let go of Bennett's throat. The man slumped to the floor gasping and coughing, but looked up at Oliver and smirked.

"Knew you could never go through with it," he choked out. Oliver looked to Henry, who shrugged, smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Oliver reached down and hauled Bennett to his feet, then punched him in the face, Bennett's nose giving a very satisfying crack as it broke. As the man howled in pain, Oliver delivered another blow to his stomach and then one to his jaw for good measure. Bennett slumped to the floor once more, unconscious.

"Don't suppose she'd mind a good punch or two though," Henry smiled and Oliver's attention turned back to the room. The Asp had subdued Talbot with little trouble and as Oliver looked for Punjab, he heard the bodyguard call out to him.

"Sahib, you'll want to see this." Punjab was standing at the door of another room and as Oliver burst through it, he was finally rewarded with the sight of his missing wife.

She lay on her side, a fine sheen of sweat covering her face, her hair stuck to her forehead and neck, her arms clutching her belly protectively. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing heavily through her nose. Oliver hurried to her side, placing a hand on her arm. Grace gasped at his touch, her eyes snapping open, scrabbling away from him on the bed.

"Grace," he said, tentatively reaching out toward her, even as she continued to move backwards. "Sweetheart, it's Oliver." She seemed not to recognize him for a moment, fear was apparent on her face and Oliver once again cursed the men in the other room. Grace had curled herself into as small of a ball as she possibly could, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. Oliver drew in a shaky breath and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Grace," he said softly. "Grace, it's all right sweetheart, I've come to take you home." Grace buried her face in her knees and shook her head.

"Not Oliver, he can't be here, dream, just a dream," she mumbled to herself. Oliver stared at his wife, the woman who was always so brave and strong, cowering on the bed. What had they done to her? Not knowing what else to do, Oliver reached out and stroked her hair softly. Grace flinched, but didn't mover any further backwards. Oliver carefully put his hand over the top of one of hers. Grace's eyes snapped open, pure terror on her face before she yanked her hand away. But then, she looked at him and then down at her hand in wonderment, then back up at Oliver.

"Oliver? Is it really you?" she asked, her voice quiet and shaky.

"Yes, darling, it's me," Oliver said, reaching out for her once again. She bit her lip, staring at him with apprehension, then finally reached out and took his hand. He grasped it, kissing the back of it, tears beginning to leak from his eyes. Grace looked at him for a moment more, then let out a sob and threw herself into Oliver's arms.

"I'm so sorry, my love, I'm so sorry." He placed quick kisses over her face, pulling her to him and wrapping his arms around her. He smoothed her damp hair back from her face, rubbing her back with the other hand. Grace sighed and seemed to relax in his arms for a moment, then she tensed and clutched her belly once more.

"Oliver, oh, hurts," she said breathlessly, panting a little. Oliver pulled back from her, searching for some kind of injury. He saw the large bruise on her cheek and the fingertip shaped marks on her wrist and his temper flared. He took a deep breath and forced himself to concentrate on Grace, so he didn't run back into the other room and rip the bastard's throat out.

"Where, sweetheart, where does it hurt?" he asked, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

"Everywhere. Oliver, the baby," Grace managed to gasp out, her face contorted in pain. And then as quickly as it had started, she seemed to relax, taking in a gasping breath. She looked up at him, fear in her eyes.

"Oliver, the baby's coming," she said. Oliver was momentarily confused.

"What?" he asked.

"The baby, it's coming," Grace repeated, grasping his hand. And then realization hit him.

"But the baby's not due for more than three weeks," Oliver said, his mind clearly trying to reject this information. "It's not time yet."

"I know, but the baby has other ideas," Grace replied. "My water broke this morning and I've been having contractions ever since." She sucked in a breath and gritted her teeth, breathing in short gasps, clutching his hand so hard, Oliver thought his bones would break. As she relaxed against him once more, Oliver's thoughts started racing. She had been in labor all day, which probably meant the baby could come anytime. They needed to get her out of here and to a hospital as quickly as possible. She couldn't have the baby here, in this filthy place. He called for Punjab, rubbing Grace's back to soothe her.

"Sahib," Punjab said, coming to the doorway.

"We've got to get Grace to the hospital," Oliver began, as Grace gasped once again. She dug her head into his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing for all she was worth. A small cry escaped her, as a knowing look crossed Punjab's face.

"The baby is coming," Punjab said no question in his voice. Oliver gave a quick nod as Grace released her hold and collapsed against him, trembling.

"Have the Asp bring the car as close the cabin as he can, you and Henry will have to stay here, with, **them**," Oliver spat the word. "Once we get to the hospital, I'll call the police and send them here," Oliver said and Punjab nodded, leaving the room. Oliver turned back to Grace, who had gone limp against him. He gently leaned her back against the headboard, as she grabbed at his hands.

"No, no, don't go," Grace begged.

"Shh, shh, I'm not leaving," Oliver assured her. "I just want to wrap you up in the quilt before I take you out to the car. It's snowing outside." He wrapped Grace in the blanket from Annie's bed, then leaned down to pick her up. He put a hand under her shoulders and the backs of her knees, but when he lifted her, Grace screamed. He quickly set her back down.

"What is it? Did I hurt you?" Oliver's pulled the quilt back and his hands fluttered over Grace, trying to find the source of her pain.

"Oliver," Grace panted, "it's too late. The baby's coming now."

Oliver looked at his wife, his mouth gaping open. The baby could not be coming now, not here. They had no doctor, Oliver had no idea how to deliver a baby. He vaguely remembered the births of Peter and Elizabeth. But he'd been so young, and the women that came to help his mother had chased him and Davey outside to play when things had progressed far enough. No matter what Grace said, they had to get to a hospital.

"Grace, you don't want to have the baby here," Oliver said. "Let me get you to the car, we'll go to the hospital." But Grace shook her head, her teeth clenched, her hands fisted in the blanket.

"Too late," she gasped out. "Coming now." She let out a long moan of pain, grabbing Oliver's arm. She turned her head to him.

"Please, Oliver," she whispered, tears leaking from her eyes. "Please, help me." Oliver's heart broke at her plea, reaching down to gather her into his arms, kissing the tears from her cheeks.

"Everything will be all right," he assured her, stroking her hair. Punjab came back to the door.

"The car is ready Sahib," he said, looking with concern at the two of them. Oliver sighed and lay Grace back down on the bed. He squeezed her hand and kissed the back of it.

"I'll be right back, sweetheart," Oliver promised. Grace nodded, closing her eyes. Oliver motioned for Punjab to leave the room and they stood in the small hallway.

"Grace says the baby is coming now," Oliver said, resignedly. Punjab looked sharply at him, then surveyed their surroundings, quirking an eyebrow at Oliver.

"I know, I know, but I can't even get her into the car," Oliver said helplessly. He suddenly felt extremely tired. His lack of sleep over the last few days, plus the emotional upheaval, had caught up to him all at once. He leaned back against the wall, sighing and closing his eyes. "I've no idea how to deliver a baby." Punjab laid a hand on his shoulder, as Henry approached the two of them.

"Sahib," Punjab said, as Oliver looked up at him. "All will be well." Punjab looked so confident, Oliver felt a surge of hope. He looked to his father, who nodded his head in agreement.

"I don't suppose you have any idea how I'm to go about this," Oliver asked dryly. Henry chuckled and looked sheepish.

"Sorry, son," Henry replied. "As soon as I knew what was happening, I cleared out and let the women handle everything." Oliver nodded, smirking and then he heard Grace cry out, calling his name, and he hurried back into the room.

Grace lay tensed on the bed, more sweat newly forming on her forehead, eyes closed, face red. Oliver knelt at her side, brushing the hair from her face, pulling out his handkerchief and wiping the sweat from her brow. She opened her eyes and laid a hand on his cheek. He placed his hand over hers, kissing her palm, then gripping her hand tightly. She looked scared, a few tears leaking from her eyes to mingle with the sweat beads that had gathered at her temples.

"It's going to be all right, Grace," Oliver told her with conviction. "I'll help you."

"But, I'm supposed to be at the hospital, there's no doctor, no nurse," Grace protested.

"Women have been having babies for hundreds of years and few of them in a hospital," Oliver said lightly. "We'll be fine." He stood and took off his jacket, laying it over the back of a chair near the bed. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and sat down next to Grace on the bed, retaking her hand. Grace nodded at him, then closed her eyes for a moment, pain crossing her face, as her hand once again clenched his, the other fisted over her belly. He waited, stroking her hair, wiping her brow until she relaxed, then smiled at her. She tried to smile back, failing miserably.

"I'm scared Oliver," she whispered.

"I know, darling, I know," he said, kissing her softly. "But I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I swear to you Grace, never again." His eyes shone with sincerity, edged by pain.

"Not your fault," Grace insisted.

"Yes, but if I hadn't gone to Pittsburgh, or if I," Oliver began, but Grace interrupted him.

"It's not your fault Oliver," she said adamantly. "Besides, I'm glad it was me they took, instead of who they really wanted." Oliver looked at her questioningly. He knew the police's theory about Bennett really wanting Annie, but he had no idea how Grace knew about it.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"They intended to take Annie," Grace replied, a hard edge to her voice. "I overheard them talking about it once we got here. They thought I was still unconscious. It was only because I was in Annie's bed that they," Grace hissed, another contraction ripping through her body. This one lasted much longer and was much stronger than the rest had been. When it was over Grace was panting, her face red.

"Oh, Oliver, it's now, it's time now," she moaned. Oliver froze for a minute, unsure what he should do and then some instinct seemed to take over and he took both her hands in his. She looked up at him and he nodded at her. She took a deep breath waiting, seeming to gather her strength for a moment and then pulled herself up, gripping Oliver's forearms and pushing. He held her up, murmuring encouragement to her, until she collapsed back onto the bed, panting.

It seemed to go on for hours, but Oliver was sure that it really hadn't been that long at all. He couldn't see how Grace could continue, she must have been exhausted, but continue she did. Punjab had brought water and Oliver helped Grace sip some every so often, rubbing her back and her arms when she relaxed in between. And then there was a loud cry of pain from Grace. She was biting her lip so hard she drew blood and Oliver knew something must have changed. She was in far worse pain than she had been.

He let go of her hands and moved to the foot of the bed, lifting the sheet that covered Grace's legs and was astonished to realize he could see the top of the baby's head. He gasped at the sight and Grace looked sharply at him, thinking something was wrong. Oliver shook his head and took her hand again.

"It's all right, everything's fine," Oliver said. "It's the baby, I can see it. Come on Grace, you're almost done, you can do it now." Grace nodded, jaw set, as Oliver returned to her side. She continued, with Oliver checking every few minutes, but not much progress seemed to be made. Finally, she collapsed on the bed, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I'm so tired, Oliver. I can't do it," Grace said, her face red, her hair plastered to her neck. Oliver said nothing, just went to her side and gathered her into his arms, rubbing her back and rocking her softly as she sobbed.

"You can do it," he said quietly. "You're the strongest person I know Grace. You can do it, I know you can."

"No, I can't," she cried.

"You can and you will," Oliver said sternly, pulling back from her. "You've never given up on anything in your life. And I'm not about to let you start now." She looked at him, wiping the tears from her face. She took in his determined expression for a few moments, then matched it with one of her own.

"All right," she said, gritting her teeth and waiting. Oliver returned to the foot of the bed, smiling at her. Grace returned his smile and then went to work, harder than before and after a few minutes Oliver grabbed the slippery little body as it slid from its mother, pure joy on his face.

"It's a boy," he crowed, leaning forward to kiss his wife.

"A boy," she said, laughing and crying all at the same time, Annie had been right. Oliver looked at his son, tears of joy in his eyes, then realized something was wrong. The baby wasn't crying.

"What's wrong?" Grace asked, as she noticed the expression on Oliver's face. "Why isn't he crying?" Oliver glanced at her, then looked back at the baby. He seemed to be struggling to breathe. Without even knowing why he was doing it, Oliver turned the baby over and gave him two swift thumps between the shoulder blades. The baby coughed, gasped and then let out the loudest wail Oliver had ever heard. He wrapped the boy in his jacket and handed him to his mother, who nestled him close to her, nuzzling his head and face. The baby instantly quieted and looked at her with wide eyes. Grace looked up at Oliver and took his hand, tears running down her face.

"He's beautiful," she whispered.

"Like his mother," Oliver replied, kissing Grace on the forehead.

"I want to name him David," Grace said quietly, looking at Oliver hesitantly. They had discussed names, of course, but this had never been one of them. Oliver tried to swallow over the lump in his throat, squeezing her hand, tears in his eyes. Grace leaned forward and kissed him gently, then rested her forehead against his. Oliver collected himself after a few moments and smiled at her.

"David John it is then," Oliver replied, giving his son Grace's father's name as well. Grace nodded and smiled, then went back to admiring the baby. It was then that Oliver heard sounds coming from the doorway. He turned to find Punjab and Henry standing there, broad smiles across both their faces.

"Congratulations, Sahib, Mrs.," Punjab said as Oliver waved them into the room. Grace held the baby out to Punjab, who ran a finger down his cheek. "He is a fine boy," he said.

"Thank you, Punjab" Grace replied, her smile growing bigger. Punjab looked at the baby once again, then turned to Oliver. "The storm, it grows worse. If you are to leave for the hospital, it should be now." Oliver nodded.

"Tell the Asp to ready the car. I'll get Grace and the baby ready." Punjab nodded and left the room. Henry remained standing near the doorway and Oliver looked to Grace. She nodded and handed the baby off to Oliver. He carried him carefully to where his father stood.

"Would you like to meet your grandson?" Oliver asked quietly and Henry looked up at him sharply. When Oliver smiled, tears formed in Henry's eyes and he nodded. Oliver laid the baby gently in Henry's arms.

"This is David John," Oliver said as Henry's breath hitched at the baby's first name. "David, this is your granddad." Grace looked at the two men standing across the room from her, tears running down her cheeks. In between contractions, Oliver had explained how they had been able to find her. While she realized that everything had not magically been settled between the two of them, she knew that they were on the right road. She watched as Henry passed the baby back to Oliver and then approached her. He leaned down and kissed her forehead and then took her hand.

"Congratulations," he said his eyes bright. "He's beautiful." Grace grasped Henry's hand.

"Thank you," she said. "For everything." He smiled and patted David's head, then left the room.

Oliver searched the closet and drawers of the dresser, finally finding a sheet that seemed relatively intact and at least looked clean. He gave it to Grace, who swaddled the baby in it, then rewrapped him in Oliver's jacket. Oliver wrapped the blanket from Annie's bed, that had been discarded when Grace had complained of being to hot, around her and she held the baby tightly against her. Punjab returned, reporting that the car was ready. Oliver looked at Grace, who nodded, gritting her teeth as he lifted her up. He made his way through the tiny cabin, glaring at the two men who had kidnapped his wife as he walked through. Grace closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder, not wanting to see the men who had caused her such torment. Talbot had the sense to look ashamed, bowing his head and staring at the floor. Bennett, who had come to at some point, looked at Oliver defiantly. Oliver longed to wipe the sneer from his face, but instead gripped Grace more tightly and walked out the door. He placed her in the back seat of the car, then slid in beside her. Punjab shut the door and the Asp drove off slowly down the winding hillside, as Oliver pulled his exhausted wife's legs onto his lap and wrapped an arm around her, her head on his shoulder, their sleepy son held tightly between them.

* * *

><p>Grace fell asleep not five minutes into their drive, David following soon after. Oliver cradled them both to him, Grace's arm also still wrapped protectively around the baby. Oliver shifted a bit, the back of his hand that held the baby brushing against Grace's stomach. He startled, then reached around with the hand that was behind Grace and ran it over her belly which still felt distinctly rounded under his hand. He knew he was no expert, but to Oliver it felt as if she were still, but no, that wasn't possible, she'd had the baby already. As Oliver tried to shake off the sinking feeling that seemed to grow in his gut, he was more grateful than ever that they were heading to the hospital.<p>

Five minutes later, Grace's eyes flew open, knowing something was wrong, but unable to process exactly what, when she heard a gasp from Oliver. As Grace tried to shake the cobwebs of sleep from her mind, she suddenly discovered that her lap and legs were very wet. And then, as she finally came fully awake, her brow furrowed in confusion, a sharp pain wracked her body and she sucked in a quick breath, realization rolling over her like a tidal wave.

"Grace?" Oliver looked at her questioningly.

"Oliver," Grace whispered, her face tight with fear. "It's happening again. I think, I think there's another baby."

* * *

><p><strong>AN2 - I realize that there are things about the whole birth scene that I skipped over (cutting the cord, etc), just pretend that they knew what they were doing and they all happened, all right? Also, I realize that it is very rare, if not unheard of, for there to be a snowstorm in New York in the middle of April, but the weather needs to be a factor and since I had already set up my timeline with when the baby was actually due, I just had to fudge a bit. Let's just call it poetic license. ;)**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N - All right, next chapter. Just a warning, this is a very angsty chapter. I won't say anything else so as not to give anything away. There will probably be at least 2, maybe 3 chapters after this one. Thanks for all the reviews! **

* * *

><p>Oliver stared at her, his mouth hanging open, unable to speak. Another baby? How was that possible, how could they not have known? Grace stared at him, biting her lip, then flung her arms around his neck and hung on tightly. He rubbed her back absent mindedly, still thinking about what she had said. He couldn't wrap his mind around it. Another baby. Twins. Oliver became aware that Grace was crying quietly into his neck and squeezed her shoulder, then kissed her temple.<p>

"It's all right Grace. We're on the way to the hospital, everything will be all right," he soothed, adjusting David more comfortably in his other arm.

"Oliver, I can't have a baby in the car," she sobbed.

"You won't have to, we'll be to the hospital before that happens. Look how long it took for David to make his appearance," Oliver said, stroking her hair now. Grace finally pulled back to look at him, tears still making their way down her cheeks. She sniffed loudly, lightly rubbing a thumb across David's forehead.

"I suppose you're right," she agreed. "But, Oliver, I'm so tired." She sniffled again, the tears returning in earnest and Oliver's heart broke for her. He knew she couldn't have slept well since she'd been taken. She had been in labor all day and finally given birth, only to be given just a few minutes rest before it all started again.

"I know darling, I know," he said soothingly, pulling her head down to rest on his shoulder. "Just close your eyes and rest as best you can." Grace nodded and sighed, leaning into him, fisting her hand into his shirt. Oliver looked up and locked eyes with the Asp in the rearview mirror.

"Can we go any faster?" Oliver asked hopefully, it seemed as if the car was barely crawling along. The Asp shook his head.

"I'm sorry sir, the snow is very slippery and this road is not very wide," the Asp said. "Hopefully once we reach the town, it will be easier." Oliver nodded.

"Just do your best," he replied and turned to kiss Grace's forehead. Things seemed to be going slowly to Oliver. He hadn't felt Grace tense up beside him yet, at any rate. He was a bit uncomfortable, given that his left leg was rather wet, but all things considered, he was feeling a bit better about the whole situation. They would get to the hospital in plenty of time for the doctor to take over delivering the next baby. David was still sleeping soundly and Oliver leaned his head back against the seat to try and rest himself.

* * *

><p>Grace, on the other hand, wasn't quite so confident. Unbeknownst to Oliver, she had been having quite a few contractions. They weren't anywhere near as strong as the ones with David had been at the end, but they were rather close together. She had managed to remain still through all of them, but the last had taken a bit more concentration. She had gripped Oliver's shirt more tightly and squirmed a bit, but he hadn't seemed to notice. She opened her eyes and looked around, realizing with chagrin that they were not even out of the woods yet. She was starting to fear that they wouldn't make it to the hospital before this next one decided it was time to be born. Grace rubbed her belly, silently pleading for the baby remaining inside to slow down and take his time.<p>

Within another ten minutes, Grace knew she would not be able to keep up the charade. She clutched Oliver's arm as another pain swept through her and Oliver opened his eyes, looking at her in concern. She nodded and gasped as he sat up straighter and looked out the window. They had finally come out of the woods, but the roads into town were no better. Oliver leaned forward towards the Asp.

"How long do you think?" he asked quietly, not wanting to worry Grace.

"At least an hour," the Asp replied, looking at Oliver apologetically. Oliver simply sighed and nodded, moving back to sit next to Grace.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"Not so well," she replied, giving him a half-hearted smile. Oliver grasped her hand in his.

"It's all right," he said smiling. "We can do it again if we have to."

"Yes, but Oliver, in the _car_?" she exclaimed. He chuckled.

"Well, we'll have quite the story to tell them both when they're older, won't we?" he asked. Grace looked at him and rolled her eyes in exasperation, but she did manage to smile a bit.

"I suppose," she said. Oliver leaned forward and kissed her.

"Don't worry, we'll do what we have to," he said. She nodded and bit her lip as another contraction hit her.

The two didn't say much, Grace just enduring the pain and Oliver continually looking out the window, hoping that they could soon begin to travel faster than they were. David began to fuss and Oliver lifted the baby to his shoulder, bouncing him slightly to try to calm him. Grace looked up tiredly when David began to get louder.

"He's probably hungry," she said. Oliver looked at her helplessly. He had nothing to offer a hungry baby. "Give him to me," Grace said, reaching out her arms.

"No, no, let me just try for a few more minutes," Oliver said. "He'll be fine." At that statement, David started to wail in earnest.

"No Oliver, he won't," Grace said sighing. "He's hungry."

"But, Grace, you're in labor," Oliver said, as if his wife had forgotten this important fact.

"I'm well aware of that," she said dryly. "However, of the three of us, I think I'm probably the only one who is going to be able to feed him. Unless you've been hiding something from me." Oliver turned a very impressive shade of red and even the Asp bit back a laugh. Grace held her arms out for the baby again and Oliver reluctantly handed him over. He watched Grace as she seemed to instinctively position the baby where he needed to be and after a few seconds, David's cries ceased. Grace leaned down and kissed the baby's small forehead, then looked at Oliver and smiled. He returned the smile and leaned over and kissed her deeply.

"What was that for?" she asked when they broke apart. "Not that I'm complaining."

"Because, you never cease to amaze me," Oliver replied, smiling. Grace leaned her head on his shoulder and she looked down and watched the baby. Truth be told, she was a bit amazed herself, but she supposed that instinct was a pretty powerful thing. After a few minutes, David seemed to have eaten his fill and he drifted back to sleep. Grace passed him back to Oliver and righted her nightgown, wishing that her husband had taken the time to bring her some fresh clothes to wear. She sighed and then gasped as the contractions, which had tapered off while she was feeding David, seemed to come back in earnest.

* * *

><p>Oliver looked out the window as he felt Grace tense beside him and could just begin to make out the lights of the city ahead of them. The roads did not look any better and it was still snowing, but he hoped the closer to the city they got, the more they would improve. He didn't know how much longer Grace was going to be able to last.<p>

Only about twenty minutes longer it appeared, as all at once, she let out a keening wail and Oliver glanced up at the Asp. They were nearing the outskirts of the city now and the driving conditions had improved slightly. They were still at least twenty minutes from the hospital, however. Oliver sent up a silent prayer to whoever might be listening and turned to Grace.

"Is it time?" he asked quietly and Grace nodded her head.

"I think so," she said, biting her lip to keep from crying out again. She shifted so her back was resting against the car door and Oliver moved as far to the other side as he could.

"Should we try and find somewhere to stop?" he asked her, but she shook her head.

"No," she said through gritted teeth. "Keep going, want to get to the hospital." The Asp increased their speed as much as he dared, but it was still slow-going on the snow covered roads. Things seemed to move much more quickly than they had with David and Oliver was getting very nervous. Not that he didn't know what he had to do, but they were, in fact, in a car, he was holding a newborn and snow was still swirling around them outside.

Once he realized that the baby, was in fact, coming very quickly, Oliver began to look around the car for a place to set David. He looked at the floor and while the Asp kept the cars impeccably clean, it was still the floor. Then he remembered that Mrs. Pugh had very nearly thrown Grace's coat to Punjab on their way out the door. He had forgotten to bring it inside to her in the confusion when they reached the cabin.

"Asp, do you still have Grace's coat?" he asked and the Asp nodded, motioning to the passenger seat beside him. Oliver picked up the coat and made a nest of sorts on the floor near Grace, settling David into it as snugly as he could. Then he turned back to Grace and sure enough, he could once again see the top of a baby's head.

"As fast as you can safely go," he barked to the Asp, then turned back to his wife, who had let out a shriek. David startled awake and began to cry, but Oliver could pay no attention to him at the moment, as his sister was currently joining the world. Oliver sighed in relief as cradled his daughter in his arms, then frowned as he took a good look at her. She was tiny, much smaller than her brother and she was making no noise. She was so small that Oliver couldn't bring himself to thump her on the back as he had David. He brought her up close to his face and felt her breath on his cheek. He let out the breath he had been holding and looked to Grace.

"Is everything," Grace paused, panting, "all right?"

"Yes," Oliver said with a smile. "Say hello to your new daughter." He wrapped the baby up in part of the quilt that was draped over Grace and held her out. Grace took her in her arms, snuggling her close as she had with David.

"She's so tiny," Grace said and Oliver hid his frown. From things that his mother had told him, this was exactly how he and Davey had been at birth. Oliver, healthy and strong and Davey, tiny and frail. He forced himself not to think about it and smiled at his wife.

"She's beautiful," Oliver said. He bent down and picked up David and held him close to his sister. David's cries stopped immediately, as if he sensed that he had been reunited with the one he had shared such small quarters with all these months.

"Well this explains why I felt like I was getting kicked from all sides all the time, I suppose," Grace said, smiling faintly and Oliver chuckled.

"Yes, I suppose it does," he replied.

"Congratulations sir, ma'am," the Asp said from the front seat. "The roads here are nearly clear and it's stopped snowing. We should be to the hospital in about five minutes."

"Thank goodness," Grace said. "We haven't decided on a name for this one yet."

"Well, what do you think?" Oliver asked.

"I still like Margaret, after my mother," Grace replied. Oliver wrinkled his nose. Grace had suggested Margaret months ago, but he wasn't overly fond of it. It was such a formal sounding name for such a little girl. "We could call her Maggie."

"Hm," said Oliver, liking the nickname a bit better, but still unsure. "I don't know, what about Ellen, after my mother?"

"Maybe," Grace said noncommittally. "I guess we'll just have to wait until we get to the hospital and have a proper look at you in the light, won't we?" She nuzzled the baby's forehead. If Oliver hadn't been looking at her, he wouldn't have noticed until it was too late. One minute, Grace was cooing to the baby and the next her eyes were rolling back in her head and her arms went limp. Thankfully, the baby had been wrapped rather tightly in the quilt and Oliver was able to scoop her up before she tumbled to the floor.

"Grace!" he shouted, but Grace did not respond. Oliver quickly situated both babies back into the coat nest on the floor and moved toward his wife, calling her name. He shook her gently, but got no response. "Grace!" he yelled again, but only succeeded in making both babies cry. As Oliver scooted forward, he sat in something sticky and warm. Looking down he realized there was a rather large pool of blood on the seat. Of course there had been blood when David was born, but nothing like this. Oliver's heart froze in fear and he turned to the Asp.

"Drive as fast as you can," he said. "There's something very wrong."

* * *

><p>Minutes later, they pulled up in front of the hospital and the Asp jumped out and ran inside for help. Oliver had continued to try and wake Grace to no avail. She was still breathing at least, and her pulse was there, but it felt weak to Oliver. The Asp reappeared with a doctor and a nurse. Oliver picked up his daughter and handed her to the nurse, then gave David to the Asp. The two went back inside, while Oliver climbed from the car to allow the doctor inside to examine Grace. The doctor shouted after the nurse to send out a gurney, but Oliver simply pulled him out of the car and stepped back in himself, picking Grace up and hurrying her to the door.<p>

Once inside, the doctor took over, directing Oliver into an exam room and going to work on Grace. He ordered Oliver back to the waiting room, but Oliver refused to leave his wife's side until two nurses forcibly pulled him out of the room.

"Where are my children?" he demanded as the nurses led him to a chair in the waiting area.

"They've been taken up to the nursery," one nurse said, as the other rushed back into Grace's room.

"Are they all right?" Oliver asked worriedly.

"They're being seen to," the nurse said evasively and the worry around Oliver's heart clenched tighter.

"Please, what's wrong with my wife?" he asked, gripping the nurse's hand. She sat down in the chair across from him.

"We don't know yet, only that she's losing a lot of blood, very quickly," the nurse replied. Oliver slumped back in his chair.

"I need to get some information from you," the nurse said. "Can you tell me what happened with the babies and their birth?" Oliver nodded, but before he could begin, he was interrupted by the Asp.

"Sir, I've called the police. They want to meet me here and have me direct them back to the cabin. They're sending a snowplow as well, so it should not take us as long to get back," the Asp replied. "Is there anything I can do before they get here?"

"Please, call the house," Oliver said. "Tell Elizabeth, but don't, don't let Annie know." The Asp put a hand on Oliver's shoulder and nodded. Oliver pulled in a shaky breath, then turned back to the nurse and proceeded to tell her what had happened since he found Grace in the cabin.

"And you didn't notice anything out of the ordinary between the birth of your son and that of your daughter?" the nurse asked when Oliver had finished his story.

"Only that my daughter came a lot faster," Oliver replied and the nurse nodded.

"I need to get back to the doctor and let him know," the nurse said, standing. "One of us will be out soon to let you know what's going on." The nurse turned to go, but Oliver grasped her hand again.

"Please, just," he stopped overcome with emotion. But the nurse seemed to know what he meant for she squeezed his hand.

"We'll do the best we can," she assured him as she walked away. Oliver leaned forward and put his head in his hands, praying that his wife and children would be all right.

It was only a few minutes later that the nurse came back out of the room. The Asp had left with the police and Elizabeth had not yet arrived. The nurse's face looked pensive as she approached Oliver. Oliver stood as she neared.

"How is she?" he asked. "Is she going to be all right?" The nurse sighed and looked at Oliver regretfully.

"I'm sorry Mr. Warbucks, but it's very serious," the nurse said. "She's still hemorrhaging and we haven't been able to stop it. We're going to have to take her into surgery." Oliver's knees buckled and the nurse grabbed his arm and steered him back into the chair behind him.

"Surgery?" Oliver said, completely taken aback.

"Yes, I'm sorry," the nurse said. "Surgery is the only option right now."

"Is she going to be all right?" Oliver asked again fearfully.

"I honestly don't know, but I promise you, they will do their best," the nurse said solemnly. "I need to get going, Mrs. Warbucks should be prepped by now." The nurse turned and left the waiting room.

Oliver sat in the chair, feeling as if he had been punched in the gut. He had never imagined that Grace might not survive. The babies might never know their mother. Dear lord, how would he be able to go on without her?

* * *

><p>"Oliver?" he heard from behind him almost half an hour later. Oliver managed to turn in his chair and saw Jack and Elizabeth, a bundle under her arm, standing looking at him in concern.<p>

"Elizabeth," he choked out before he lost it completely. Elizabeth sat down next to him and took him in her arms while Jack stood awkwardly in the background.

"Oliver, what happened?" Elizabeth asked, her voice shaking. "Is Grace or the babies?" she broke off, unable to voice the fear that gripped her heart. She had been flabbergasted when the Asp had called to tell her that Grace was in the hospital after giving birth to not one, but two babies, one of which came into the world in the car. She knew that something was wrong with Grace, but the babies were almost a month early as well. Dear god, what it were all three of them? Elizabeth's heart pounded in her chest at the thought of losing them all.

"Please Oliver, you've got to tell me," Elizabeth's voice had grown shrill and it seemed to bring Oliver back to his senses.

"I don't know Elizabeth, I don't know," Oliver said quietly, pulling away from her. "Grace is in surgery and no one has come to tell me anything about the babies. David seemed all right, but little Maggie, she was so tiny and she barely made any noise."

"David and Maggie? Those are the babies' names?" Elizabeth asked, tears forming in her eyes at the name of her nephew.

"What?" Oliver asked, then realized he had given his daughter the name Grace wanted without even thinking about it. "Oh yes, David John and Margaret, after Grace's mother," Oliver paused, "Margaret Grace." Oliver thought he would have said Margaret Ellen, but knew his daughter needed to carry something from her mother, just in case, well, just because she did. "We're calling Margaret, Maggie."

"They're beautiful names, Oliver," Elizabeth said, grasping his hand. "Now what's this about the surgery?" Oliver looked up and finally noticed Jack standing off to the side, looking uncomfortable.

"Jack?" Oliver asked, confused.

"He drove me here," Elizabeth explained. "I had no idea where the hospital was, it was easier for someone to bring me." Oliver nodded.

"Jack, would you please tell the staff that Mrs. Warbucks is in surgery and that the doctors are tending to the babies?" Oliver asked his gardener. "That's all I really know right now, unfortunately. And please, don't let Annie know that her mother is," Oliver trailed off.

"I understand sir," Jack said. "Congratulations on the babies and I'm so sorry about Mrs. Warbucks." Jack turned to leave, but Oliver called out to him.

"Jack, tell them," Oliver paused, trying to reign in his emotions. "Tell them to pray." Jack gave a quick nod and headed out the door. Elizabeth turned to Oliver and handed him a stack of clothes.

"The Asp told me I should bring you a change of clothes," she said. "Why don't you go and put these on." Oliver looked at her, puzzled, then glanced down at the front of his shirt and realized it was covered in blood. His throat hitched at the sight and he took the clothes from Elizabeth and went to the restroom to change.

"Now, why don't you tell me everything that's going on," Elizabeth said once he had returned and Oliver proceeded to fill her in on what the nurse had told him.

"And the babies?" Elizabeth asked, but Oliver just shook his head.

"I don't know, no one's come back to tell me anything," Oliver said, getting frustrated. "Maybe I should go and try to find someone." As if on cue, another nurse came around the corner and headed over to where Oliver and Elizabeth sat. Oliver realized it was the same woman who had come out to the car when they first arrived at the hospital.

"How are my children?" he asked anxiously once the nurse had reached them.

"Your son is doing wonderfully," the nurse said smiling. "We've gotten him all cleaned up and he's eating right now. Seven pounds and perfectly healthy." Elizabeth grinned at Oliver and he squeezed her hand, a small smile on his face.

"And my daughter?" Oliver prompted, when the nurse did not continue. Her demeanor instantly changed. The smile was gone replaced by a look of concern, bordering on pity.

"Mr. Warbucks," the nurse began. "Your daughter is very small, she weighs barely five pounds. She's having problems drinking from a bottle. We're also having problems regulating her body temperature. She's breathing on her own without any difficulty, which is a positive, but the doctor has detected a small heart murmur. This may very well be something that goes away on its own, as she grows, but we need to do further tests to be sure."

"So what are you saying, exactly?" Elizabeth asked, as Oliver seemed too overcome.

"I'm saying that there is a chance that your daughter will not make it, especially if we can't get her to eat," the nurse said quietly. "I'm so sorry."

"Can I," Oliver's voice cracked and he cleared his throat. "Can I see them?"

"Of course," the nurse responded. "Come up the nursery." Oliver and Elizabeth stood and began to follow the nurse, when Oliver stopped abruptly.

"What about Grace?" he asked. "What if?" But the nurse interrupted him before he could continue.

"Your wife will be in surgery for quite a while yet," the nurse explained. "Regardless, if they don't find you in the waiting room, I'm sure they'll look for us up in the nursery." Oliver nodded and continued to follow, his thoughts filled with the all of the challenges his family was currently facing.

* * *

><p>When they arrived at the nursery, the nurse directed them to the large window in the front and slipped inside. Oliver followed Elizabeth to the window. The nurse approached one of the cribs and picked up a baby wrapped in a blue blanket, bringing him to the window for Oliver and Elizabeth to see. He was awake and Oliver noticed for the first time that he had the same deep blue eyes as Grace and wisps of light brown hair covered his head. Elizabeth's smile was larger than any Oliver had ever seen on her face and she wrapped an arm around his waist and gave him a squeeze.<p>

After a few minutes, the nurse set David back down in his crib and then came back out and rejoined them in the hallway.

"What about Maggie?" Oliver asked, wondering why the woman hadn't brought her daughter to the window.

"Your daughter is in another room," the nurse explained. "She needs to stay in an incubator for now. Come on, I'll show you." Oliver and Elizabeth followed the nurse down the hall to another small room and led them inside. There was something that looked like a glass fronted cabinet attached to one wall. A pipe ran up from the top into the ceiling and there was a large oxygen tank on the floor beside it with a tube running inside. As Oliver got closer, he realized that Maggie was lying inside, wrapped tightly in a blanket, a small cap on her head. She was sleeping and Oliver could see that her breathing was labored, her small chest rising and falling in time to the small pants she was taking. She looked so tiny and fragile that Oliver longed to hold her close to him and protect her from everything.

"Can I hold her?" he asked, but the nurse shook her head.

"Not just now," she said a note of apology in her voice. "Until we can do the other tests I mentioned, we're worried about germs and infection." Instead, Oliver placed his hand against the glass and leaned as close as he could.

"Keep fighting, little one," he said quietly. "We need you around to keep your big brother in line." Elizabeth's laugh encompassed a sob and Oliver reached back and grasped her hand with his free one. After another minute or two, they both turned and followed the nurse into the hall.

"What about David, when can I hold him? He seems to be fine and you told me he was perfectly healthy," Oliver said, anxious to have at least one of his children back in his arms.

"I'll have to check with the doctor," the nurse said. "I'll let you know." Oliver nodded and he and Elizabeth slowly made their way back to the waiting room. They sat down next to each other, Elizabeth's head on Oliver's shoulder, their hands clasped, neither of them speaking. Oliver's mind was awhirl with so many thoughts, he couldn't pick one to focus on for more than a few seconds before his mind lit on something else. The time ticked by as the two of them waited for any news of Grace.

Just when Oliver thought he might go mad if he had to wait one more second, he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see his father standing behind him. As Oliver stood and turned to face him, he noticed Punjab and the Asp standing further away near the entrance doors.

"Bennett, is he?" Oliver asked, looking at his father.

"The police took both him and the other one down to the station. The one," Henry paused looking at Oliver questioningly.

"Talbot," Oliver provided.

"Right, Talbot," Henry continued. "He confessed to everything, named Bennett as the mastermind. Bennett refuses to say a thing, however. But, with Talbot's confession and whatever Grace has to say, he won't be going anywhere for a long, long time." Oliver simply nodded, not really caring about Bennett at the moment.

"How is Grace?" Henry asked. "The Asp told us what happened in the car, another baby, I can't believe it!" Henry clapped Oliver on the back, but Oliver just looked grim.

"What is it Oliver?" Henry said in concern. Oliver simply shook his head, unable to relay all that had happened. He looked to Elizabeth who nodded and Oliver motioned Punjab and the Asp closer, so the story would not need to be retold again.

"Grace is in surgery, we haven't heard anything yet," Elizabeth explained. "David is fine, we've seen him in the nursery. But Maggie," Elizabeth broke off, sucking in a breath. "They're not sure she's going to make it." At these words, Oliver rose from his chair and stalked away, unable to take the pitying glances or Elizabeth's tears any longer. Elizabeth rose to go after him, but Henry put a hand on her arm.

"Let me," he said to his daughter. "I'm probably the only one who truly understands how he's feeling right now." Elizabeth nodded and sat back down in her chair, tears running down her face. Henry patted her on the shoulder then turned to find his son.

* * *

><p>Oliver stood in front of the nursery window, looking at his baby boy lying in his crib. He was sleeping again, his little mouth working in his sleep and Oliver felt an indescribable feeling wash over him. It was love and protection and pride all in one, but tinged with grief and sadness. He felt a presence behind him and knew without turning who it would be.<p>

"How did you do it?" Oliver asked quietly. "When you found out." Henry sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, remembering seeing his baby boys for the first time after they were born and how different they were. Oliver, healthy and robust like David seemed to be and Davey, tiny and fragile as little Maggie was now, by all the accounts he had heard.

"You pray a lot and hope, fight for them, love them, protect them as best you can," Henry replied. "But, most of all you have to have faith that they'll make it." Oliver didn't respond, simply continued to look at his son through the nursery window. "Maggie is so much luckier than Davey was. She's here, in this hospital and they'll do everything they can for her. Doctors know so much more than they did back then. But the most important thing is that she has you as her father. You're not going to give up on her and walk out night after night like I did. If she's sick and needs something, you'll get it for her. She's going to make it, I know she will." Oliver didn't say anything and Henry moved closer to him placing a hand on his shoulder.

"The most important thing is to not let the guilt eat you up inside." Henry paused, as if to gather his thoughts. "I know you feel like this is your fault, if you'd gotten there sooner or left one of your bodyguards at home or not gone away in the first place. But this isn't your fault son. Don't let the guilt take over. Don't let yourself fail your children because of it, like I did."

Oliver looked at him then, this man that he had hated for more than half his life. Oliver saw the man that his father could have been, had life and circumstances been different. And while Oliver would never forget, he felt like maybe, just maybe, he could forgive. Because he knew now, knew the anguish and heartache his father must have felt, the helplessness as he watched his son suffer, knowing there was nothing he could do but hope. And he could understand how someone might make the choices that his father had, when faced with the depths of despair as he had been. Not that Oliver would have made those choices, but he could at least understand.

It was ironic, Oliver thought, that the two of them, men so vastly different in so many ways, were so much alike in so many others. And Oliver was tired of anger, tired of hatred, he was just, tired. And so, when the tears began to fill his eyes once again and his father put a hand on his shoulder, Oliver didn't shake it off, but rather turned to him and allowed himself to be embraced by the one person who could truly understand how he felt at that moment.

A short time later, the two came back to the waiting room. Elizabeth looked up and saw the look in both of their eyes and stifled a small sob. She knew that her family, such as it was, was back together and whole again and in the face of the tragedy they may soon be facing, she knew it was what they all needed. And when the two came and sat on either side of her, she took both of their hands in hers, placing them on her lap, knowing that no matter what happened, they would face it together.

* * *

><p>Oliver had sent the Asp back to the house, not wanting Annie to remain there unprotected. He didn't think that she was in any immediate danger, now that Bennett and Talbot had been arrested, but he'd been wrong before and intended not to be again. Punjab was still standing guard in the waiting room and Henry had just stepped away to try and find them all some coffee when Grace's doctor came into the waiting room. Oliver stood up expectantly as the man approached, hopeful look on his face.<p>

"Mr. Warbucks, the surgery did not go," the doctor paused, looking extremely tired, "did not go completely as expected. We couldn't stop the bleeding and she was losing blood as fast as we could transfuse it into her. We had to do an emergency hysterectomy," the doctor continued. Oliver heard Elizabeth gasp behind him.

"I'm sorry, what?" Oliver asked. He thought he knew what the doctor meant, but he wasn't positive.

"Your wife will not be able to have any more children," the doctor said. "I'm very sorry, but we would have lost her otherwise." Oliver sat down heavily in the chair behind him. He was trying to process everything the doctor was saying, but he wasn't doing a very good job of it.

"So she's all right then?" he asked.

"Your wife still lost a lot of blood. We've given her transfusions, but the situation is still very serious. We won't know much for another day or two," the doctor replied.

"Can I see her?" Oliver asked.

"Not just yet, she's in recovery right now," the doctor replied. "Once we move her to a room, we'll let you know." Oliver nodded and the doctor left.

Oliver turned to Elizabeth who met his gaze with anguish in her eyes. She reached a hand out to him and he took it, still trying to wrap his mind around what had happened. Before he could process it much further, a nurse approached him.

"Mr. Warbucks," the nurse said. "Your son is ready for another bottle if you would like to go to the nursery and feed him." Oliver looked at her and seemed to come back to himself for a moment.

"Oh, oh yes, thank you. I'd like that very much," Oliver said and stood to follow her to the nursery.

The nurse led him into a room off the nursery and told him to wash his hands and then put on what looked like an apron while she went and retrieved David. When she brought the baby to Oliver, he was fussing a bit, but quieted when the nurse put him into his father's arms.

"Hello, little man," Oliver said quietly. "I hear you're hungry. Can't have that now can we?" He smiled at his son as the nurse gave him the bottle and helped him situate David in the right position so he could feed him. The baby tugged at the bottle hungrily with his lips and Oliver couldn't help but smile as he watched.

"I wish your mother could see you," Oliver said. "She loves you so very much." Oliver's eyes began to tear as he thought of the hole that Grace would leave in all of their lives if she did not recover. Forcing himself away from those morbid thoughts, he began to tell his baby son of all the things they would do when he was a bit older. Annie and Maggie were always interwoven in the stories and as the bottle slowly emptied, David's eyes began to flutter closed. Eventually the baby's mouth went slack, the bottle popping out and a small drop of milk running down his chin. Oliver set the bottle on the table beside him and raised David up to his shoulder, lightly patting his back and breathing in his baby scent. He rocked slowly in the rocking chair, picturing Grace in his place, doing the same thing. It will happen, he thought fiercely in his mind. She will feed them and rock them and love them, both of them. And when the nurse came to take David back into the nursery, Oliver swore silently to his son that he would not lose his mother or his sister, Oliver would make sure of that.

When Oliver returned to the waiting room after feeding David, a nurse was waiting to take him to Grace's room. He asked Elizabeth and Henry to come with him, but they both insisted that he go on his own for the first visit. Dawn was breaking as Oliver entered Grace's room, the rosy glow of the sky streaming through the window and leaving patterns on Grace's otherwise pale skin.

Oliver walked slowly to the edge of her bed. She was ghostly pale and the bruises on her wrist and face, as well as one on each of her arms that he had not noticed in the cabin, stood out starkly against the pallid whiteness of her skin. Even the redness of her lips seemed faded and dull, as if something had sucked the color from them. Oliver stroked the bruise on her face lightly with his fingertips. He held his breath, hoping she would turn to his touch as she always did, but knowing that she wouldn't all the same.

His beautiful wife, always so strong and confident and full of life, now bruised and broken, terrorized by a monster and unable to enjoy the first moments of her babies' lives because of it. The grief that had been washing over him all day was nothing when faced with the image of Grace lying in the hospital bed. Oliver sank down onto the edge of the bed next to her and took her hand. He knew it was just his imagination, but she seemed so breakable now, so delicate and frail, he felt as if her hand would come apart in his.

"I've seen the babies," Oliver said softly. "I fed David a little while ago, he's doing so well. He's got your eyes, that beautiful deep blue that I love so much. I saw Maggie too. Yes, I named her Margaret like you wanted. It just seemed to fit her. She's so small, but she's fighting, fighting very hard to stay with us and her brother and sister. She needs her mother though, Grace. She needs you to hold her and love her and tell her everything is going to be all right." Oliver pulled in a shaky breath, fiddling with the wedding ring on Grace's hand.

"David and Annie need you too," Oliver continued. "They need you to get well and get strong again. They need their mother. And I need you Grace, so much. I don't know what I would do without you, you're everything to me. Please, my darling, you have to come back to us." Oliver squeezed his wife's hand as hard as he dared and looked into her face. She hadn't moved, not even a flinch as he spoke to her.

"It's all right, I know you need to rest now," he said, smiling down at her. "You rest and then you'll come back to us, I know you will." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, smoothing her hair back and tucking it behind her ear. Then he sat and watched over her, waiting for some sign that she was returning to him. He didn't know how long he sat there, just looking at her, drinking in her face, but when he looked up the sun had fully risen, glittering off the newly fallen snow.

There was a light rap at the door and Oliver shifted towards it as Elizabeth peeked into the room. He smiled and motioned her in and she came to stand on the other side of the bed.

"How is she?" Elizabeth asked.

"Resting," Oliver said, shrugging his shoulders. "She needs her rest, after all that she's been through. I'm sure she'll join us soon." Elizabeth moved to stand behind Oliver, rubbing his shoulders in support.

"I'm sure she will," Elizabeth agreed. "I know she's got to want to hold those babies of hers again." Oliver smiled and nodded. "Oliver, you should go home for a little while, shower and eat something, maybe rest a bit." Before she had even finished speaking, Oliver began shaking his head.

"No, I won't leave her," he insisted.

"Oliver, you're exhausted," Elizabeth said soothingly, moving to stand in front of him. "You won't do Grace or those babies a bit of good if you don't get some sleep. You've been up all night."

"So have you," Oliver retorted.

"Yes, but I'll bet that you've not gotten more than an hour or two of sleep since Grace was taken, have you?" she asked. Oliver just grumbled something under his breath, so Elizabeth decided to change tactics.

"Annie needs to see you Oliver," Elizabeth said quietly. "She's terrified, she needs to know what's going on." Oliver looked up at her, sadness in his eyes.

"What am I going to tell her Elizabeth?" Oliver asked plaintively. "How do I tell her that her mother," he broke off, too choked up to continue.

"You tell her that her mother is ill, but she's fighting as hard as she can," Elizabeth said, gripping his shoulders and forcing him to look at her. "You tell her that the doctors are doing everything they can and that we all have to know that she's going to be all right." Oliver took in a breath and stood, hugging his sister.

"You'll stay with her until I get back?" Oliver asked. "And if she wakes up"

"I'll call you immediately," Grace replied, kissing his cheek. "I promise." Oliver nodded and leaned over Grace, kissing her forehead and caressing her cheek.

"I'll see you soon, sweetheart," he said. "I love you, forever and always." With one last look back at Elizabeth, Oliver left the room and found Punjab, who drove him home.

* * *

><p><strong>AN2 - So I was doing some research online for the medical parts of this chapter and found out what incubators looked like in the 30's. Take out the spaces on the link below if you want to see it. www . neonatology . org / classics / silverman / silverman1 . f13 . gif Also, hospitals usually didn't have incubators, but there were some special facilities that preemies could be sent to. But, these places put the babies on display, actually charged admission and let people come in and gawk, like a sideshow. The picture is from an Exposition in Chicago in 1933. I just thought it was kind of crazy and so I bent the facts for my story. ;)**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N - Hello all, next chapter for you! I know that chapters have been coming out quite quickly lately, but there will be a delay on the next one. I have a project I have to get done by Thursday which will give me little free time to write, unfortunately. I am hoping to have the next one up by next Monday, as usual though, but bear with me if I'm a bit late. Enjoy and thak you for all the reviews! **

The house seemed deathly quiet when Oliver entered. Drake greeted him at the door, Punjab returning to the hospital to stand watch over Grace. Oliver had told the man to get some sleep, ensuring him that Grace and the babies were perfectly safe at the hospital, but Punjab refused. Oliver knew that he was very fond of Grace and realized he must feel almost as guilty as Oliver did himself, for not being there when she was abducted.

He made his way upstairs, Drake having informed him that Annie refused to sleep in her room and had not settled down until Mary had offered to let Annie sleep with her. Oliver walked down the quiet hallway until he reached the room Mary was staying in. He opened the door and smiled as he looked at the two sleeping girls in the bed. Annie looked so small and peaceful lying asleep next to her cousin. He had intended to leave Annie where she was until he had showered and changed, but something pulled him towards her and he realized that he needed her with him.

He carefully picked her up from the bed and she snuggled herself against his chest, not waking. He turned to leave the room when Mary stirred.

"Uncle Oliver?" she mumbled, yawning widely.

"Shh, go back to sleep sweetheart, I'm sorry that I woke you," Oliver whispered. Mary looked at him for a moment, blinking sleepily, then yawned again and turned on her side, closing her eyes once more. Oliver smiled as he left the room, pulling the door shut with one hand. He carried Annie to his own room and lay her down on the bed, pulling the covers up over her. He took off his shoes and climbed in himself.

He sat next to Annie and reclined against the headboard, watching her sleep. He was exhausted and he knew he should sleep himself, but too much worry swirled in his head to allow him to drop off. He leaned back and closed his eyes, thoughts skipping from Grace to David to Maggie to Annie. He grew restless and felt the need to pace, so he eased himself from the bed and began to walk back and forth in front of the fireplace in the sitting room.

Eventually, he wandered into the nursery that Grace and Annie had so lovingly prepared. He picked up the sweater and cap that Grace had knitted and smiled at the memory of her sitting on the terrace, yarn and needles thrown down in frustration at having to rip out another row of stitches yet again. But she had persevered and finished the little set. He would take it back with him when he returned to the hospital. He chuckled as he thought that she would need to make another set now and then pictured the look on her face when she realized it. He set the sweater down and ran a hand along the top rail of the crib. They'd need another, perhaps he should order one today, so all was ready when the babies came home.

And then his thoughts darkened as he realized that there was a very good chance that Grace would not need to make another sweater or he buy another crib. He leaned forward and rested his forearms on the rail of the crib, clasping his hands together and putting his forehead on his hands. Dear god, they might not need anything extra at all, for his little Maggie might never come home.

He heard a noise behind him and Oliver turned to see Annie standing in the doorway of the nursery. She was rubbing one eye with a fist and still seemed half-asleep, for she didn't say anything or run to him at first. Oliver waited until she woke herself up a bit and watched as her eyes lit up at the sight of him.

"Daddy, you're home!" she exclaimed and ran and jumped into his arms. He pulled her close and hugged her fiercely, kissing the top of her head. Annie pulled back and looked at him expectantly. "Is Mom coming home now?" Oliver looked at her and then walked back into the sitting room, closing the nursery door behind him. He couldn't look at it while he told Annie what had happened. He carried her to the sofa and sat down with her on his lap.

"Annie, your mother is still in the hospital," Oliver began. "She won't be coming home for a while yet."

"How come?" Annie asked, her voice shaking a little.

"Well, it's very hard work having two babies all in one day," Oliver said smiling. Annie nodded sagely, as if she completely understood this and Oliver couldn't help but chuckle. Then her eyes lit up.

"Mrs. Pugh said I have a brother _and_ a sister," she said excitedly.

"That's right, you do," Oliver replied, smiling at her.

"She told me their names too, but I think I was so excited that I forgot," Annie's brow furrowed as she tried to remember.

"Your brother's name is David and your sister's is Margaret, but we're going to call her Maggie," Oliver said.

"Those are good names," Annie said, nodding her head seriously.

"I'm glad you approve," Oliver replied in amusement. His daughter's infectious excitement certainly was a balm for his spirit.

"When can the babies come home, when can I see Mom, when is she coming home, when," Annie broke off as Oliver held up a hand to stave off her flurry of questions. He leaned forward and took Annie's hands in his.

"Annie, there's something I need to tell you," Oliver began and Annie bit her bottom lip, worry crossing her face.

"Your mother," Oliver's voice cracked and he cleared his throat before he continued. "Your mother had to have an operation after she had the babies. Something happened inside while she was having them and the doctors had to go in and fix it. She needs to rest and get better and the doctor isn't sure how long it's going to take."

"But she will get better, right?" Annie asked her voice low and frightened.

"Yes, I believe that she will," Oliver said, trying to convince himself as much as his daughter. "As to the babies, David is doing very well, I'm sure he'll be able to come home in a day or two."

"What about Maggie?" Annie asked when Oliver didn't continue.

"Maggie is," Oliver paused, trying to decide how to phrase his words. "She's having a hard time right now. She's very small and she has to stay in a special bed that keeps her warm. The doctor wants her to stay there until she gets a little bigger and she learns how to eat better."

"She's going to be okay though, isn't she?" Annie asked quietly. Oliver felt his emotions getting the better of him and pulled Annie into a hug before she could see the tears in his eyes.

"I hope so, sweetheart, I truly hope so."

* * *

><p>Annie stayed curled on the sofa while Oliver went to shower and shave. He felt a bit better when he was finished, although the exhaustion was slowly creeping up on him. He took Annie to her room and sat on her bed to wait while she dressed in her bathroom. Once she was finished, the two walked down to breakfast meeting Mary on the way.<p>

"I'm sorry that your mother didn't come home with me," Oliver said to his niece as they descended the stairs. "She's sitting with your Aunt Grace until I go back to the hospital."

"It's all right Uncle Oliver," Mary said, giving him a smile. "I understand."

"Daddy, can I go back to the hospital with you to see Mom?" Annie asked as the trio entered the dining room.

"Not just yet, Annie," Oliver replied. "I need to check with the doctor and make sure it's okay if you visit first." Annie pouted, but said nothing as the three took their seats at the table. Almost immediately, Mrs. Pugh entered with platters of hot food. Oliver looked at her and as their eyes met, he could tell that she had been crying. He knew that Mrs. Pugh considered Grace a daughter and made a mental note to speak with her before he returned to the hospital.

Although Oliver had not eaten since lunch the previous day, he couldn't force himself to eat much. A piece of toast and a glass of juice were all he could stomach. He sat and watched Annie and Mary as they ate and joked with each other and realized just how much happiness Grace had brought into his life. It was Grace who had brought Annie into their home. Grace who put up with his indecision and idiocy when he was trying to push her away instead of admitting that he loved her. Grace who had searched Elizabeth out and then gotten her to forgive him. Grace who had spoken to his father and convinced Oliver to at least consider giving the man another chance. Grace who had just given him two more beautiful children. Everything good in his life was due to her in some way.

"Daddy, what's wrong?" Annie asked, pulling Oliver from his reverie. It was only then that he realized that tears were making their way down his cheeks. He hastily wiped them away, but Annie was already out of her chair and climbing into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him. Mary rose and stood next to him, her hand on his shoulder and looked so much like her mother that Oliver's breath caught. He put an arm around Mary's waist and hugged Annie to him with the other and the three of them stayed that way for quite some time.

When he had recovered, Oliver looked at both girls and smiled, giving Mary a squeeze and kissing Annie on the forehead.

"Thank you," he said softly. "For helping me feel better." Mary nodded and went back to her chair, sitting down and finishing her breakfast. Annie stayed where she was, looking at her father as if making sure that he was truly all right. He hugged her once more, then stood, setting her down on the floor.

"I need to talk to Mrs. Pugh for a minute and then I've got to get back to the hospital," he said. "I'll come back and say goodbye before I leave though." Annie nodded and sat back down in her chair.

* * *

><p>Oliver made his way into the kitchen to talk to his cook. As he entered, he heard quiet crying, but didn't see her anywhere. Frowning, he followed the sound of the noise and opened the pantry door to see Helen Pugh sitting on the floor, her head in her hands, sobbing. Oliver crouched down in front of her and put a hand to her shoulder. She startled, her head whipping up to look at him, then got quickly to her feet, wiping her eyes on her apron.<p>

"I'm sorry sir," Helen said, pushing past him back into the kitchen. "Was there something you needed? More coffee?" She went to the stove and picked up the coffee pot, put Oliver shook his head.

"Mrs. Pugh," he said, but the woman ignored him, busying herself with what looked like pancake batter.

"I supposed the girls are still hungry, I'll just whip them up some more pancakes," she said, refusing to look at Oliver.

"Mrs. Pugh," Oliver said again, but was still ignored. "Helen," he said gently and this time she turned to look at him. "Please," Oliver said. "I know you're upset about Grace, you don't have to hide it from me. I know the two of you are close." Helen stared at him for a moment and then her chin began to tremble. She turned away, but Oliver approached her and put a hand to her shoulder once again. She braced her hands on the countertop and hung her head as her shoulders began to shake. Oliver put an arm around her and pulled her to his side.

After a few moments she had composed herself and pulled away from him, again wiping her face on her apron.

"I'm sorry sir," she said, trying to avoid his gaze. "I don't know what's gotten into me."

"Helen, it's all right," Oliver said quietly. "I know that you're worried, as we all are." Helen took a deep breath, looking up at her boss.

"Is it really that bad then?" she asked.

"It's very serious, yes," Oliver replied. "She lost so much blood. My god there was so much." Oliver broke off, turning to look unseeing out the window. It was Helen's turn to comfort him now. She took his hand and squeezed it until he looked down at her.

"Grace is strong and she's a fighter," Helen said. "She won't let this take her from us. She wants to see those babies and watch them grow up. She'll be all right." Oliver could do nothing but nod, returning the comforting squeeze of his hand.

"I've got to get back," he said. "Can you please look out for Annie today? I'll send Elizabeth home once I get there, but she will need to sleep."

"Of course, sir, she and Mary can help me in the kitchen," Helen said smiling.

"Thank you," Oliver said, squeezing her hand once more before walking back into the dining room. Annie and Mary had finished their breakfast and were sitting and waiting for him to return.

"Annie, I've got to get back to the hospital," Oliver said. "Your Aunt Elizabeth will come home once I get there, but she's been up all night and she'll need to rest. So let her be for a while, all right? Mrs. Pugh is going to look out for the two of you today."

"Okay, Daddy," Annie said and Mary nodded in agreement.

"Come and give me a hug before I go," he said and Annie jumped into his waiting arms. He hugged her and kissed her, then did the same for his niece.

"Tell Mom that I love her and give her a big hug for me," Annie said as Oliver left the room.

"I will," he said smiling and then walked to the front door where the Asp was already waiting to take him back to the hospital.

* * *

><p>Oliver once again sat on the edge of Grace's bed. He had sent Elizabeth home with the Asp and had insisted that Henry go with her. His father had protested at first and it took Oliver telling him that he needed someone to be sure that Elizabeth rested, before the man agreed. Oliver had urged Punjab to go home and rest as well, but the bodyguard had flatly refused.<p>

"I will rest when you do, Sahib," he said knowingly. Oliver had opened his mouth to argue, then shut it as he saw Elizabeth give him a suspicious look. Not wanting her to try and force him home because she found out he hadn't slept at all, Oliver just nodded and returned to Grace's side.

The doctor had been in to speak with him, but there had been no real change in Grace's condition. Oliver asked about Annie visiting her mother, but was told that children were not allowed into patient's rooms. He knew she would be disappointed, but hoped that Grace would return home in a few days and it wouldn't matter. Oliver had fed David again and seen Maggie. He was still not allowed to hold her, but the nurse assured him that the doctor was almost finished with his tests.

So now he sat, watching his wife for any change, no matter how small. His mind drifted through memories as he sat there and he realized that none of them were even a year old. Far too short a time for him to lose her now. And so he sat and watched and waited. Elizabeth came again late in the afternoon and tried to convince him to go home, but he refused. She sat with him for a while until the nurse came in to tell them that visiting hours were over. Elizabeth stood to leave and looked at Oliver expectantly, but he remained seated on the bed.

"Mr. Warbucks, your wife needs her rest," the nurse said. "You'll have to leave now."

"My wife is comatose, I'm sure my being here isn't keeping her from resting," Oliver snapped. The nurse looked to be at a loss for words for a moment, but recovered quickly.

"Be that as it may, sir, these are the hospital rules," the nurse said.

"I don't give a damn about your rules," Oliver retorted. "I'm not leaving my wife." Elizabeth look apologetically at the nurse, who glared at Oliver for a moment, then left the room.

"Oliver," Elizabeth said gently. "Please, come home with me and get some rest."

"No," Oliver said stubbornly. "She needs me."

"She needs you to be strong for her," Elizabeth continued. "You can't do that if you're exhausted."

"Leave it alone, Elizabeth," Oliver growled. Elizabeth huffed and opened her mouth to say something else when the door to the room opened and the doctor entered, followed by the nurse. The nurse stood with her arms crossed and looked at Oliver triumphantly. Elizabeth, having remembered Punjab was still standing in the hall, slipped out of the room.

"I understand we're having a hard time getting rid of you, Mr. Warbucks," the doctor said with a smile. Oliver scowled at him and turned back to Grace. "I'm sure your wife would be very upset with you if you made yourself ill."

"I'm not leaving her," Oliver stated again and looked up to see Elizabeth and Punjab come into the room.

"Sahib, if I might have a word," Punjab said. Elizabeth whispered something to the doctor and everyone else left the room.

"You can have your 'word', Punjab, but it's not going to change my mind," Oliver said, scrubbing a hand down his face.

"Indeed," Punjab said. "But perhaps you would be interested to know that the hospital can remove you bodily from the room if you refuse to go. They can also bar you from returning." Oliver stared at Punjab in shock, but recovered quickly.

"They can't keep me from seeing my wife," Oliver scoffed. He would simply call the mayor or the chief of police or even the governor if he had to. Oliver's influence ran deep, no one could keep him from the hospital.

"Sahib, Mrs. would not want you to run yourself down like this," Punjab said, coming to stand next to Oliver. "You need to be strong for her and Annie and the babies, do you not?" Oliver sat in silence, refusing to acknowledge what he very well knew to be true.

"I can't leave her," Oliver said quietly. "What if she wakes up and I'm not here?"

"The doctor will be here and I will stand guard outside the door, in order to let you know the moment she awakes," Punjab replied. Oliver shook his head, the man hadn't slept for almost two days.

"You need your rest just as much as I do," Oliver argued.

"No Sahib, I do not," Punjab said. "It is simply mind over matter, I will be fine for another night." Oliver continued to look at Grace and then finally nodded. He rose from the bed after kissing Grace lightly on the forehead and followed Punjab from the room. Elizabeth looked relieved when she saw him and the doctor simply smiled and nodded.

"I would like my bodyguard to remain outside my wife's room," Oliver said to the doctor. "Just as a precaution given the fact that she was recently kidnapped." The nurse opened her mouth to argue, but the doctor held up a hand to silence her.

"I believe that would be an agreeable compromise," the doctor replied, smiling. He turned to the nurse. "Alice, if you could bring a chair for Mr. Warbucks bodyguard."

"That will not be necessary," Punjab said. "I will stand." The doctor looked surprised, but nodded.

"I will see you tomorrow then, Mr. Warbucks," the doctor said and turned and walked down the corridor.

"Thank you Punjab," Elizabeth said to the man, who inclined his head to her. "Come on, Oliver, let's go home." Elizabeth took her brother's arm and the two made their way down the hall.

* * *

><p>The next morning Oliver returned to the hospital after breakfast and insisted that Punjab return home to sleep. Oliver spent the day sitting with Grace and feeding David his bottles. After every feeding, he would go and visit Maggie. So far the doctors had not found anything alarming in the tests that they had run, for which Oliver was grateful. However, Maggie's condition had not improved much and Oliver was beginning to worry even more. His daughter looked even smaller than she had been the night of her birth. The nurse assured him that all babies lost a bit of weight right after they were born, but Oliver knew that it was weight Maggie could ill-afford to lose. He sighed as he kissed his fingertips and pressed them to the glass door of the incubator before making his way back to Grace's room.<p>

Elizabeth arrived after lunch and spent a few hours, returning home once Henry arrived. The two men stayed until visiting hours were over and then Punjab returned to his post outside Grace's door once more. Just before Oliver left for the evening, David's doctor informed him he could take the baby home the next day. Oliver was overjoyed at this news, but knew that there were things that he needed to discuss with Elizabeth before bringing his son home.

"Wonderful news about David," Henry said smiling, as he and Oliver drove back to the house. Henry had been having a wonderful time getting to know two of his granddaughters. Annie was a bundle of energy and Mary, more soft spoken, reminded him very much of Elizabeth as a child. He knew that he didn't deserve the forgiveness his children had given him, but he was very grateful for it all the same. He was very much looking forward to spending time with his newest grandson and hoped that he would soon get a chance to meet the rest of Elizabeth's children.

"Yes, it is," Oliver agreed. "I just wish his sister was coming home with him." Henry nodded, as Oliver paused. "And his mother," Oliver finished, quietly. Henry put his hand on his son's shoulder.

"She'll be all right Oliver," Henry said with conviction. "She'll find her way back to you." Oliver looked at his father and gave him a sad smile, hoping that his father was right.

* * *

><p>The two reached home and entered the dining room just as the food was being brought out of the kitchen. They were greeted by the three women at the table and sat down, filling their plates. Oliver waited until they were all finished eating before deciding to share the news from the day.<p>

"Well, I got some good news today," he said, smiling at Annie.

"Mom's awake!" she exclaimed and Oliver's heart clenched a bit.

"No, sweetheart, I'm sorry," Oliver said and Annie's face fell. "But, the doctor did tell me that your brother can come home tomorrow." Annie's face lit up in excitement and she started bouncing in her chair.

"Oh Oliver, that's wonderful," Elizabeth said, reaching across the table and squeezing his hand.

"Yes, I thought so too," he said smiling. Annie and Mary finished their dessert and then left the table, chattering excitedly about David's imminent arrival. Oliver smiled after them as they left, then turned back to his sister.

"I think I'll need to hire a nanny," Oliver said. "I still need to be at the hospital with Grace and I'll need someone to care for David while I'm there. Do you think you could handle the interviews for me tomorrow?" He turned to his sister who, to his surprise, looked murderous.

"A nanny!" she exclaimed, anger in her voice. "Well, I suppose if you don't think I've been doing a good job with Annie." She sniffed.

"Elizabeth?" Oliver asked, taken completely by surprise. "What on earth?" He looked to his father for support or an explanation, but Henry simply sat biting his lip, holding back a laugh from the looks of it. Oliver scowled at him.

"Honestly, Oliver, I've raised four children of my own. You don't think I could care for an infant?" she asked in indignation.

"Of course I do!" Oliver replied. "It's just that I don't know how much longer it's going to be until Grace can come home and I know you probably need to be getting back to Boston, it's been nearly a week." Elizabeth's anger cooled immediately.

"Oliver I can stay as long as you need me to," Elizabeth assured him. "I will have to send Mary home though, she needs to get back to school. Frank is coming in on the train on Saturday to pick her up and take her home. He's arranged for the other children to stay with the neighbors that day. He'll be back by the time they need to go to bed."

"But your family needs you," Oliver protested.

"Oliver, you're my family too and right now, you need me more," she insisted. "Frank and the children will be fine." Oliver sighed, but nodded all the same. He knew there was no way to change her mind now that she had decided. "Now, let's drop all this nanny nonsense," Elizabeth said. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of my nephew and I daresay I'll have more help than I could ever need in this house." Oliver chuckled knowing that between Annie, Mrs. Pugh and Cecile alone, Elizabeth would have more than enough help, not to mention the rest of the staff.

"All right then," Oliver agreed. "But if you feel that you need to go back home, I want you to tell me."

"I promise," Elizabeth said, smiling at him. "Besides, I'm sure that Grace will be home in a few days as well and you won't need me anymore anyway."

"We can only hope," Oliver replied.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Elizabeth went with Oliver to the hospital, leaving Henry in charge of the girls. Oliver was a bit dubious about this arrangement, certain that Annie and Henry could get into all kinds of trouble together. But the look of pride on his father's face when asked to mind his grandchildren, convinced Oliver to let them have their fun.<p>

When the two arrived, they made their way to Grace's room in order to relieve Punjab. Then Oliver left Elizabeth to sit with Grace while he went to the nursery to retrieve his son. The nurse met him at the door and ushered him inside to the room where he fed David. Once the baby was fed, Oliver carried him back to Grace's room.

Elizabeth, who had only seen the little boy through the nursery window, reached her hands out for him the moment Oliver entered the room. He chuckled and handed his son over.

"Oh, Oliver," Elizabeth exclaimed. "He's even more beautiful up close." She cradled the baby to her and gave him a soft kiss on the forehead. Oliver watched them, smiling and then Elizabeth carried David over to Grace.

"Grace, you've got to wake up and take a look at this gorgeous boy," Elizabeth said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "He's absolutely perfect, but I know he'd rather have his mum holding him than his aunt." Elizabeth carefully pulled Grace's arm away from her body and laid David in the space she had created. She kept a hand on him, but wrapped Grace's arm up and around him as well. Oliver watched her, tears glistening in his eyes and hoped that his wife would respond to the weight of their son on her arm. But Grace did not move, not even a flinch. She just lay perfectly still as she had before, the only movement the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. After a minute or two, Elizabeth picked the baby back up, tears in her own eyes now.

"That's all right," she said, moving Grace's arm back beside her and giving it a small pat. "You still need your rest. I'll take good care of this little one until you're ready." She then stood and walked back to Oliver, smiling up at him through her tears. "She'll wake up soon, don't worry." Oliver simply nodded, unable to speak. He picked up the sweater and hat that he had brought from home and handed it to Elizabeth.

"Will you put that on him, before you go?" Oliver asked. "And make sure to take a picture of him in it when you get home."

"Of course," Elizabeth said and lay David down on the end of Grace's bed, unwrapping him from the blanket he was in and putting the sweater and hat on. She then rewrapped him in his blanket and handed him to Oliver. "Say goodbye to your Daddy." Oliver snuggled his son close to him, trailing his nose over the boy's forehead and breathing in his baby scent. He kissed him on the cheek, then handing him back to Elizabeth.

"You be good for your auntie now," Oliver said, running a finger down the baby's cheek. "I'll be home to tuck you in later." Oliver turned to Elizabeth and wrapped an arm around her, hugging her to him. "Thank you," he said. Elizabeth nodded and patted his cheek. "The Asp should be waiting for you outside," Oliver continued. "Be sure to tell Annie I'll be back for dinner."

"Don't worry about us," Elizabeth said. "We'll be fine." She stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek and then left with his son.

Oliver sighed and went and sat back down on Grace's bed, taking her hand in his. He brought it up and rubbed the back of it against his cheek, then kissed her knuckles, one by one. Setting her hand in his lap, he gently massaged her fingers and palm, while telling her all about Annie's excitement about her brother coming home. No matter what he said or did, Grace still continued to lie still in the bed, not even a twitch to give Oliver any kind of hope. He wasn't going to give up on her though, that was certain. She just needed more time.

* * *

><p>Later that afternoon, Henry knocked lightly on Grace's door. When there was no answer, he opened it and looked in. Oliver was sitting in a chair, his head resting on the bed, asleep, Grace's hand clutched tightly in his. His daughter-in-law didn't seem to have moved at all and by the pained expression on Oliver's face in his sleep, Henry concluded that there hadn't been any change in her condition. He sighed. He was unsure how long Oliver could keep this up. Henry knew that Oliver wasn't sleeping much at night, he could tell just by looking at him at the breakfast table every morning. And now with a newborn at home, who would no doubt be up multiple times at night, Henry worried very much for Oliver's well-being. The last thing anyone needed was for Oliver to end up in a bed beside Grace.<p>

Consequently, Henry decided to let his son rest and left Grace's room as quietly as he had entered. He strolled down the hall toward the nursery, wondering if the nurse would let him take a peek at Maggie. He hadn't seen her yet, Oliver always stopping in to visit her after feeding David. He stopped in front of the nursery window and when the nurse stepped into the room, he motioned her outside.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Yes, I was wondering if I could see my granddaughter," Henry replied.

"Of course sir, which one is she?" the nurse asked smiling. "I'll bring her to the window for you."

"Oh, she's not in the regular nursery," Henry said. "My son said she was in a room by herself, Maggie Warbucks." The nurse pursed her lips, as if unsure if she should grant his request. "I know I can't pick her up or anything like that, I just haven't been able to have a look at her yet. My son is resting in his wife's room or I would have brought him with me." He gave the nurse his most charming smile and eventually she nodded.

"All right," she said. "But just for a moment, it's almost time for us to try and feed her again."

"Try and feed her?" Henry asked, as he followed the nurse.

"Yes, your granddaughter is having trouble eating," the nurse replied, not explaining further. They reached the room and she opened the door, showing him in. He walked to the incubator attached to the wall and looked in through the glass. His breath caught as he looked at Maggie. She was tiny, just as small as Davey had been and her face lacked the roundness of a bigger newborn. One hand poked out of the blanket and her fingers were narrow, each fingernail no bigger than 1/8 of an inch across. She was asleep so he couldn't tell what color her eyes were. Probably blue he supposed, as both Grace's and Oliver's were. As the thought passed through his mind, Maggie moved and her fingers spread apart as if she were stretching. She blinked, once, twice, then three times before her eyes opened. As if she sensed him standing there, she turned her head towards him and he saw that her eyes were not, in fact, blue, but the lightest of greens.

"Ellen," he whispered, as he stared at his granddaughter. She had his Ellen's eyes.

Henry was ushered from the room a few minutes later and he made his way back to Grace's room. He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice Oliver was now awake when he reentered the room.

"Dad!" Oliver said sharply.

"Huh?" Henry asked looking up.

"I've called your name three times," Oliver said, looking puzzled. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, sorry, no, no nothing's wrong," Henry said. "I've just come from seeing Maggie."

"They let you in?" Oliver asked, his eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Oh, you know me, I can charm just about anyone," Henry replied cheekily and Oliver rolled his eyes.

"How was she?" he asked.

"She's so sweet, but so very small," Henry replied. "Have you seen her eyes yet?"

"No, she's always been asleep when I've been in there and it was too dark in the car after she was born," Oliver said shaking his head.

"Well, she woke up when I was in there," Henry said, his voice quiet. "Her eyes, they're your mother's." Oliver sat in silence, simply staring at his father. "That lightest shade of green, like the buds of leaves on the trees in the spring or the skin of an apple," Henry continued, gazing off into the distance as he spoke. "Clear and sparkling, like the sun when it shines on the water, just like my Ellen." Henry's eyes brightened as he spoke and Oliver could feel the love radiating from him. He rose and put his hand on his father's shoulder.

"Then let's hope that means she had a guardian angel watching over her," Oliver said and Henry nodded. The two sat in companionable silence for most of the afternoon, both lost in their own thoughts of the women that they loved. One hoping for her swift return and the other mourning the one that he had already lost. And as the sun slowly began its descent from the sky, they rose without speaking and turned toward home and the family that awaited them there.

* * *

><p>They entered the house and Oliver was immediately assaulted by his 11 year-old daughter. She ran and grabbed him around the waist, squeezing so hard she nearly knocked the wind out of him.<p>

"Hello, sweetheart," he said, hugging her back while loosening her arms from around his middle.

"Daddy, I love my new brother!" Annie exclaimed, large grin on her face.

"I'm very glad about that. I just hope you feel the same way when he starts walking and stealing all your toys," Oliver said smiling, as Henry chuckled beside him. "Where is your brother at the moment?"

"Aunt Elizabeth is putting him down for another nap," Annie said. "He sure does sleep a lot."

"Yes, well, let's just hope that holds true for the night as well, shall we?" Oliver smiled at Annie who looked at him in confusion. He laughed and ruffled her hair. "I'll explain later."

"Oh Oliver, good you're home." Oliver looked up and saw Elizabeth coming down the stairs, Mary beside her. "I've just put David down, so we should have time to eat dinner before he wakes up again."

"Did everything go all right today?" Oliver asked, as the group made their way into the dining room.

"Perfectly," Elizabeth answered smiling. "He's such a good little boy. Although I will say that your staff probably didn't get much work done. They spent most of the day fawning over him." Oliver chuckled. "That child is going to be spoiled rotten, I'm sure," Elizabeth continued, shaking her head, but she was smiling as well. "How's Grace?"

"The same," Oliver said, shrugging a shoulder. "Oh, but Dad saw Maggie today. She opened her eyes for him. Apparently, she's got Mother's eyes." Elizabeth gasped and looked at her father who nodded.

"Oh, I can't wait to see," Elizabeth said, putting an arm around Oliver's waist.

"Neither can I," Oliver said quietly. "Neither can I."

* * *

><p>That night was anything but peaceful for Oliver. Elizabeth had offered to keep David in her room overnight, the cradle Grace had bought could be moved easily, but Oliver refused, wanting to take care of his son himself.<p>

About 2:00 in the morning, however, he began to regret that decision, as David had been fussing and crying for the last half an hour and Oliver had no idea why. He'd fed him and changed him, wrapped him back in a blanket, but the baby didn't seem to want to settle down. Oliver was currently sitting in the rocking chair in the nursery, trying to get his son to go back to sleep. Finally exasperated, Oliver stood up and walked back into his bedroom. He laid the baby on the bed, while he put on his robe and slippers, then picked him back up, holding him against his shoulder.

"Let's go for a little walk," Oliver said. "Just keep in down in the hallway, we don't want to wake anyone." Surprisingly, the baby quieted for a moment, while Oliver made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen. He was hungry all of a sudden and decided to see if there was any pie left from dinner.

Once they got into the kitchen, however, David decided he had been quiet long enough and let out a loud wail.

"Shh, shh," Oliver said, bouncing the baby a little trying to quiet him. "You'll wake Mrs. Pugh." But David was not to be consoled and just as Oliver had decided to take the baby back to his room before he woke the entire household, a light snapped on in the hall.

"Mr. Warbucks," Mrs. Pugh said as she came down the hall from her quarters. "Is everything all right?"

"Oh, Mrs. Pugh," Oliver replied, as if he were surprised to see her there. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. David's been a bit fussy and I thought a change of scenery might help. Apparently not." Mrs. Pugh chuckled and made her way into the kitchen.

"You sit down and I'll get you some of that pie from dinner," she said. "And then we'll see what we can do for this little one." She patted the baby's back as she turned and pulled the pie from the refrigerator, cutting Oliver a slice and bringing it to the table.

"Now, hand that sweet boy over and you sit down and eat," she said, waving off Oliver's protests. Oliver watched as Mrs. Pugh put David to her shoulder, patting him on the back and gently bouncing as she walked. The baby continued to protest, however and after a few minutes, Mrs. Pugh came and sat down at the table with Oliver.

"Probably just a stubborn bit of gas," she said and she carefully laid the baby on the table. She unwrapped him from the blanket and then put her hands on the backs of his legs and gently bent them up towards his stomach. She straightened his legs out and then bent them up again, repeating the motion a few more times before picking him back up, Oliver watching in fascination. She then picked the baby back up and put him back to her shoulder. She began to pat his back again and after another minute, the baby let out a rather impressive burp and almost instantly fell asleep.

"How did you know that's what it was?" he asked, looking at her in awe.

"Oh, just years of practice," she said chuckling. Oliver had finished his pie, so Mrs. Pugh handed the baby back to him. "He should sleep for you now," she said smiling.

"Thank you," Oliver said and he carefully positioned David in his arms. "I wish Grace were here. I feel like I don't have any idea what I'm doing."

"You're doing just fine, as far as I can see," Mrs. Pugh assured him. She put a hand to his arm and smiled at him. Oliver simply nodded and stood.

"I guess I should get this little guy back to bed," he said. "Good night."

"Good night sir," Mrs. Pugh replied and she watched the two leave the room. "Oh Grace," she said after Mr. Warbucks had left. "You'd be so proud of your boys."


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N - Hello all. Fair waring, this is a rather angsty chapter again. I believe the next chapter will be the last, the story is just about at its end. Thanks to all who are reading and reviewing! **

* * *

><p>The next morning Oliver returned to the hospital as usual. He was tired from being up so many times during the night with David, but as he sat on the edge of the bed and relayed the story to Grace, there was a sense of pride as well that he had been there when his little boy needed him. Just as he finished talking, a nurse entered the room.<p>

"Mr. Warbucks, I was hoping I would find you here," she said as Oliver looked at her questioningly. "I was wondering if you would like to come and feed your daughter." Oliver grinned widely and after kissing Grace on the forehead, followed the nurse into the hall.

He followed her past the nursery and into Maggie's room. There was a rocking chair in the corner with a table next to it. On the table was a very small bottle, not even half the size that David usually drank. The nurse directed Oliver to the sink and observed his hand washing until she was satisfied he had done it correctly. Oliver felt as if he had scrubbed half his skin away, but he didn't care. He concentrated only on the fact that he was finally going to get to hold his daughter again. The nurse gave him what looked like a hospital gown to put on over his clothes and then motioned him to the chair, while she opened the incubator and gently picked Maggie up. She changed the baby's diaper and then wrapped her tightly in several blankets before handing her to Oliver.

She felt as if she weighed next to nothing in his arms. David wasn't overly large, by any means, but even he seemed heavy compared to the tiny bundle Oliver was now holding. Her features were perfect, from her long blonde eyelashes to her tiny rosebud mouth to the dimple in her chin. Oliver smiled as he drank her in and began rocking without realizing it, before the nurse picked up the bottle and handed it to him. He put it to Maggie's mouth, dribbling a bit of milk onto her lips, but nothing happened. He looked up at the nurse, puzzled, but the nurse only smiled.

"It takes her a bit sometimes, to decide if she wants to eat or not," the nurse said, encouraging Oliver to try again. He did and this time Maggie opened her mouth a fraction, letting the drops slip in, then closed it again. Finally after the third time, he was able to get the bottle into her mouth, but she only sucked on it for a few seconds before she began to twist away as if she were choking and the nurse had Oliver take the bottle from her mouth.

"Just give her a second," the nurse said, watching the baby closely, then gestured for Oliver to try again. He hesitated. It seemed almost like punishment, forcing her to take the bottle that she clearly did not want. But he knew that she needed to eat.

"Come on sweetheart, take just a little bit for Daddy," Oliver said as he brought the bottle back to Maggie's lips. She took a few more sips and then began to squirm again, just as she had before. After ten minutes of the same, Maggie had only finished a third of the tiny bottle and was now wailing loudly. Oliver brought her up to his shoulder, patting her back and beginning to rock until the baby quieted.

"Is this how it always is when you try to feed her?" Oliver asked and the nurse nodded.

"You can see why the doctor has been so concerned," the nurse said. "She eats so very little at a time and while we feed her more often than normal newborns eat, there are times when she refuses more than a swallow or two. She's simply not taking in enough to put any weight on." Oliver nodded, rubbing Maggie's tiny back. She had fallen asleep, her face turned toward his neck and he bent his head and kissed her temple.

"Can I just sit here with her for a bit?" he asked and the nurse nodded, picking up the bottle and leaving the room. Oliver continued to rock his daughter as she slept peacefully on his shoulder. His worry mounted as he thought of how little she had eaten and he wondered just how much longer she would survive if they couldn't get her to eat somehow. "Don't worry little one," he said quietly to the baby. "Daddy's here and I'm going to help you get well. I won't give up on you." A few minutes later, the nurse returned and told Oliver it was time to put Maggie back into the incubator. He laid his daughter gently in her bed and covered her upper body with his hand for a moment.

"Please, I'd like to feed her while I'm here," Oliver said and the nurse nodded.

"I'll be sure to send someone to get you when it's time again," she replied.

"Thank you," Oliver said and with one last look at the baby, he turned and left the room to return to Grace's side.

* * *

><p>The next day, Saturday, Frank came and picked up Mary. Oliver went home for lunch in order to speak with his brother-in-law and make sure that he was truly okay with Elizabeth staying in New York.<p>

"Oliver, you need her help right now," Frank said. "I know you've got plenty of staff here and they can help you as well, but Elizabeth is family. Besides, I don't think I could drag her away from that baby if I tried." Oliver chuckled and had reached to shake Frank's hand, but Frank surprised him by pulling him into a hug. "She'll be all right, Oliver," he said, as he released Oliver. "Grace is strong, she'll be fine."

"Thank you Frank," Oliver said, shaking the man's hand. "And thank you for letting Elizabeth stay for a while longer. She's been more help than I can say."

Saturday and Sunday proceeded in much the same way. Oliver would have breakfast with Annie, then go to the hospital and sit with Grace and feed Maggie. Elizabeth usually came around lunchtime, mostly, Oliver knew, to force him to eat something. Then Henry would arrive in the late afternoon, mostly, Oliver knew, to make sure he came home for dinner. Punjab would stand guard outside Grace's room at night and Oliver would return home, eat dinner with the family and then spend an hour with Annie before he tucked her into bed, taking care of David during the night.

Sunday night when he arrived home for dinner, Elizabeth asked to speak with him before they sat down to eat. The two went into the study, leaving Henry to entertain Annie.

"Oliver, I think we should send Annie back to school tomorrow," Elizabeth said. "With Mary gone and Molly at school, she'll be here by herself and I don't want to give her more time to brood. She still refuses to go into her room alone and she's afraid to be by herself for more than a few minutes. It's not that I mind having her with me all the time, but I think getting back to her routine would be good for her. It might keep her mind off things."

It was true, Annie had slept with Mary until the older girl left and last night, she had slept in Oliver's room on the sofa. And Oliver hadn't seen her go voluntarily into her room since before the kidnapping. She did always seem to be clinging to him when he came home at night, but Oliver had thought that was because he was at the hospital all day. But if it was happening during the day as well, Elizabeth was right. Annie should get back into her routine, at least as far as school was concerned.

"All right," Oliver said. "I'll talk to her after dinner."

Once Annie had put on her pajamas and brushed her teeth, Oliver sat her down on the sofa in his sitting room.

"Annie, Aunt Elizabeth and I think that you should go back to school tomorrow," he said and Annie looked up at him, sheer terror on her face.

"No, Daddy, no, I don't want to," she said. "I want to stay here with Aunt Elizabeth and you." Oliver was very surprised by this reaction as Annie had always loved school.

"Why not sweetheart?" he asked. "Don't you miss your friends and learning new things?"

"Well yes, but I still don't want to go back to school," Annie said. "Please don't make me." She then proceeded to throw herself into his arms, burying her face in his chest. He hugged her for a moment, then pulled away from her.

"Annie, what's going on?" Oliver asked, completely confused. "I think there's something you're not telling me." Annie looked down at her lap and didn't answer. Oliver put a finger under her chin, tipping her head up until she met his gaze. "Tell me, please."

"What if," Annie paused, her voice starting to quiver, "what if the bad man comes back and takes me from school?" Oliver pulled her back into his embrace and realized she was shaking.

"Listen to me, sweetheart," he said as he rubbed her back. "The bad man is not coming back. He is in jail and he's going to stay there for a very, very long time. And the school knows that no one can come and pick you girls up except your mother and me, the Asp or Jack and Cecile. They wouldn't let anyone else take you away. I promise you that you're safe there."

"But, what if Mom wakes up?" Annie asked.

"Then I will send the Asp to come and get you immediately and bring you to the hospital," Oliver replied.

"I thought I wasn't allowed at the hospital," Annie said, brow furrowed. "You said it was the rules."

"Hang the rules," Oliver replied, grinning. "When your mother wakes up, there are no rules." Annie giggled. "So, what do you think? School tomorrow?"

"Okay," Annie agreed, smiling.

"Good girl," Oliver said, kissing her on top of the head. "Now, do you want to try and sleep in your room tonight?" Annie vehemently shook her head. "All right, you can sleep here on the sofa again." He got up and went to the closet for bedding and Annie helped him make up the sofa. Oliver tucked her in and Sandy jumped up to lay at her feet.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," Oliver said, kissing her cheek.

"Night Daddy," Annie replied yawning. Oliver watched her for a few minutes until she drifted off to sleep, then quietly left the room to inform Elizabeth that Annie would indeed be returning to school.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Oliver made sure Annie had gotten off to school before he left for the hospital. He had only been in Grace's room for a few minutes when the doctor came in and asked to speak to him in his office. Oliver followed the doctor down the hall and was ushered into the small space, the doctor closing the door behind them.<p>

"I wanted to speak to you about your wife's condition," the doctor began and Oliver sat up expectantly in his chair.

"Do you have any idea when she will be waking up?" Oliver asked.

"That's just the thing, Mr. Warbucks," the doctor replied. "I feel as if she should have woken up already."

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked, confused.

"Well, everything went well with the surgery," the doctor continued. "Granted she did lose a lot of blood, but her vital signs are good and she is recovering well from the surgery."

"So what do you think the problem is then?" Oliver was still confused, but he was also becoming worried as well.

"I'm afraid that we need to discuss the possibility that she may never regain consciousness," the doctor said quietly. Oliver felt as if he had been punched in the gut. Never wake up? Surely the doctor couldn't be right.

"But, I don't understand," Oliver said. "If everything is going as well as you say, why wouldn't she wake up?"

"Unfortunately, I don't have an answer for you," the doctor said, sighing. "Sometimes, these things just happen and we can't explain them."

"Just happen?" Oliver said. "Just happen? These things don't 'just happen'. There's got to be something else you can do!" Oliver was yelling now and the doctor did nothing to try and calm him down. "You're a doctor, this is a hospital, there's got to be something else!"

"Mr. Warbucks, I'm sorry," the doctor said, holding his hands up to try and placate Oliver. "Sometimes we do everything we can and it's just not enough."

"You're damn right it's not enough!" Oliver thundered. "I am not giving up on my wife, do you understand me? I'll find another doctor or another hospital, experts, something. She will come back to me and our children, I'll make sure of it." Oliver then turned and wrenched open the door to the office, stalking out and slamming it behind him. He would not give up on Grace, no matter what the doctor said. He would never give up.

* * *

><p>When Elizabeth arrived that afternoon, it was to find a very agitated Oliver pacing the floor of Grace's room. His face was twisted into a grimace that immediately made Elizabeth look to the bed where Grace laid, her heart in her throat. But everything looked the same.<p>

"Oliver, what is it?" she asked, when he passed in front of her again. Oliver stopped and looked at her surprised. Apparently he hadn't noticed her come into the room until she spoke.

"Oh, Elizabeth," he said. "Is it lunch time already?"

"Yes, Mrs. Pugh sent some sandwiches," she said, holding up a basket. "Oliver what's going on?" He sighed and stopped his pacing, going instead to the chairs that were in one corner of the room. The two sat down and Oliver scrubbed a hand down his face before turning back to Elizabeth.

"I talked to the doctor this morning," Oliver said. "He seems to think that Grace should have woken up by now."

"Well, why hasn't she then?" Grace asked.

"He doesn't know," Oliver replied. "But he said I should prepare myself for the possibility that she might never wake up." Elizabeth gasped and brought a hand to her mouth. Oliver just nodded ruefully. "Yes, well, I told him where he could put that information. I'm not giving up on her." Oliver looked at Elizabeth defiantly, as if he expected her to argue with him.

"Well of course you shouldn't give up on her," Elizabeth said and Oliver looked at her in surprise. "What a terrible thing for him to say!"

"You agree with me?" Oliver asked, somewhat incredulous.

"Well of course I do," Elizabeth replied. "The woman was kidnapped, barely fed for two days, gave birth to two babies and then had a major operation. What does the man expect, that she's going to jump out of bed and dance a jig right away? It's only been a week for heaven's sake!" Oliver began to chuckle and in a few minutes he was laughing loudly. Elizabeth just looked at him for a moment, then shook her head and rolled her eyes, which only made him laugh harder.

"Oliver, do sit down and calm yourself," Elizabeth said. "You're laughing like a hyena." But she couldn't hide the smirk that broke out over her face as she tried to stifle a laugh behind her hand. Oliver crossed to the chairs and table where Elizabeth had set the basket and pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you," he said, "for being here to keep me sane." He smiled at her as he sat down and she passed him a sandwich from the basket.

"How is Maggie today?" Elizabeth asked, as she took out the thermos of lemonade Mrs. Pugh had packed.

"Better actually," Oliver said, smiling widely. She drank almost the whole bottle for me this morning."

"That's wonderful!" Elizabeth exclaimed. Oliver nodded.

"Yes, the nurse was very happy afterward," Oliver said. "I'm hoping it's a sign of good things to come." He glanced at Grace when he said this, lying to still in her bed. Elizabeth reached over and squeezed his arm.

"She's going to come back to you Oliver, you have to believe that," Elizabeth said quietly.

"I know she is," Oliver replied. "It's just hard to be patient." The two sat and ate their lunch in companionable silence. When they were finished, Elizabeth began to pack away the remains of their meal.

"I think I'm going to come home a bit earlier today," Oliver said. "I want to be there when Annie gets home from school."

"Well, why don't I just wait here with you then?" Elizabeth said. "It's only about an hour until we should be going back anyway. I'll just call the house and let Cecile know. She's watching David today."

"All right," Oliver said, standing up from his chair. "Will you sit with Grace when you're finished? It's about time for me to feed Maggie again."

"Of course," Elizabeth said. "I won't be long." She kissed her brother on the cheek as she made her way to the front desk to call the house. When she finished, she returned to Grace's room and sat down on the edge of her bed.

"Grace," Elizabeth began, taking her sister-in-law's hand. "You've got to come back to us now. I know you're tired and you can rest all you need to, we just need to know that you're going to be all right. Oliver is having a very hard time." Elizabeth paused, swallowing over the lump in her throat. "He puts on a good face, but I know it's all for show. Inside, he's dying a little piece at a time. I'm not sure what would happen to him if you never woke up. Please Grace, please, your babies need you and Annie and Oliver need you." Elizabeth squeezed Grace's hand and held her breath waiting for a response, but Grace simply continued to lie silent and still in the bed.

Elizabeth began to wonder what would happen if Grace didn't wake up. Would she just lie here, day after day in the hospital? There were facilities for people like Grace, she supposed, but she was unsure if Oliver would be able to bring himself to put Grace in one. She couldn't imagine him going to visit her day after day, week after week, year after year, Grace just simply lying there, unmoving.

Elizabeth knew that Oliver's business needed his attention. There had been many phone calls for him over the course of the week. Drake fielded most of them, assuring everyone that Oliver was dealing with a family emergency and would be back to work as soon as possible. Of course, most everyone knew of Grace's kidnapping and subsequent rescue, it had been in all the papers. As had the babies' births, but Oliver had managed to keep Grace and Maggie's conditions from the press. Still, Elizabeth knew that the business couldn't wait forever. Perhaps this afternoon, after he had spent a little time with Annie, he could at least tackle all the mail that waited for him on his desk. Elizabeth could help, she had been a secretary once after all. She would discuss it with Oliver on the way home this afternoon.

"That doesn't get you off the hook though," Elizabeth said to Grace, squeezing her hand again. "I may be able to help, but you know as much about that business as Oliver does. He couldn't do it without you."

* * *

><p>That afternoon, once he had spent some time with Annie and gotten her started on her homework, Elizabeth did indeed manage to convince Oliver to spend some time in the office. She went with him and offered to help however she could, as Oliver began to sort through the large pile of mail that lay on his desk.<p>

"I suppose there are a few letters that I really need typed up," Oliver mused as he sat back in his chair.

"Well, we could work on them tonight after the children are in bed, if you like," Elizabeth said. "I think I can still remember how to take dictation and then I can type them up tomorrow, while you're at the hospital. I'll bring them with me for you to sign when I bring lunch."

"All right, if you're sure you don't mind," Oliver replied.

"Of course not," Elizabeth said smiling at him.

"That's settled then," Oliver said as he continued to go through the mail. Elizabeth rose to go and check on David when Oliver stopped her, calling her back into the room.

"What is it?" Elizabeth asked, when she saw the look on his face.

"I've been thinking," Oliver said his brow furrowing. "Thinking of giving the Pittsburgh factory back to Mrs. Bennett." Elizabeth froze, gaping at Oliver. She groped behind her for the chair, before sitting down heavily into it.

"You've been thinking what?" she asked incredulous.

"The factory, it's been nothing but a thorn in my side since I bought it," Oliver said. "And it's caused this family nothing but grief. If I hadn't fired Robert Bennett, maybe none of this would have happened." Elizabeth knew that he wasn't just speaking of Grace's kidnapping, but of what had happened to Elizabeth, at William Bennett's hand, as well.

"Grace told me that if you hadn't fired Robert, that there wouldn't be a factory left at all," Elizabeth said.

"That's true," Oliver replied. "But then William would have only had his father to blame."

"I'm sure that William would have found a way to blame you, no matter what decision you made," Elizabeth said. "The man is insane, completely and truly crazy."

"Well, I won't argue that point," Oliver said. "But still."

"Oliver, if you're doing this because you truly want to be rid of the factory and all that it reminds you of, then fine, do what you think is best," Elizabeth said. "But if this is just out of some ridiculous sense of guilt," she broke off, shaking her head.

"It's both actually," Oliver said. "Every time I think about that factory, I can't help but see Grace when I found her, bruised and in pain. And then when I touched her, she jumped away from me like I'd burned her. She was terrified, of _me_." Oliver pulled in a gasping breath and Elizabeth went and knelt at his side.

"She was not afraid of you," Elizabeth insisted. "You told me yourself that once she realized it was really you, she fell into your arms. It was the situation and what she'd been through. Not you."

"What she'd been through because of me," Oliver said quietly. Elizabeth huffed loudly, getting to her feet and putting her hands on her hips.

"Oliver we are not going to have this conversation again," she said. "None of this was _your_ fault. Everything that happened was orchestrated by William Bennett and Charlie Talbot, no one else. I don't blame you for any of it and if Grace were here she would tell you the same thing."

"But she's not here Elizabeth," Oliver said, his voice rising. "She's lying there in that bed and she might never wake up! And that's my fault!" He got up from his chair and began to pace the room, the vein in his temple throbbing, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he moved.

Elizabeth knew that Oliver was very close to the edge and she didn't know how much longer he was going to be able to keep it together. Grace was his support, his strength, his rock. And while Elizabeth was trying to fill that role for him now, she knew that it wasn't the same, that she couldn't be for him what Grace was. Elizabeth was unsure what would happen to her brother if Grace didn't wake up. And that scared her very much.

She moved in front of where he was pacing, stepping into his path in order to stop him from moving.

"Oliver, listen to me," she said, taking his arm to keep him in place. "I'm not going to tell you again that it's not your fault, because I've said it enough. But please, stop doing this to yourself. It's not doing anyone any good, not Grace, not the children and certainly not you. Don't worry about the factory right now. There will be time for that decision later, once Grace and Maggie are home and things are back to normal around here. Just concentrate on the immediate needs of your business and on your wife and children. Please."

Oliver looked at her and sighed. He knew she was right, knew he needed to stop the guilt and self-recrimination, but it was awfully hard to do so when he had been told that his wife might never wake. Still, Elizabeth was right. The children needed him and so did Grace. He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side.

"You're right, I know you are," he said, kissing the top of her head.

"It's going to be all right, Oliver," she said, looking up at him. "No matter what happens, we'll get through it." He simply nodded, unable to speak, and the two left the office to go and check on David and find Annie.

* * *

><p>The next few days passed by in a blur, although, if asked, Oliver would have been able to recite what he had done each day, as they were all the same. He would see Annie off to school, then go to the hospital and spend the morning with Grace and Maggie. Elizabeth would arrive with lunch and work for him to sign or look over. He would spend the afternoon with Grace and Maggie and then Henry would come in the late afternoon to bring him home. Oliver would spend time with Annie and David, eat supper, put the children to bed and then work with Elizabeth in the office for a few hours before going to bed and getting up to repeat the cycle again the next day.<p>

Despite her initial improvement, Maggie was back to the beginning as far as the bottle was concerned and the doctors were becoming more and more worried. That morning she had seemed even frailer to Oliver, and after speaking to the doctor, he had come to the realization that if something didn't change soon, they would lose her. He made his way back to Grace's room, his heart heavy with grief. He sunk down onto Grace's bed and took her hand as always. There had been no change in her condition either and the doctors were speaking to him of other facilities to transfer Grace to. Asylums were more like it, Oliver thought disgustedly. He refused to let Grace go to a place like that. He would move her home before that happened.

"Grace, you have to come back to us, please," Oliver begged. "Please, Maggie, she's," he choked back a sob, "she's not well, they don't think it will be much longer. Please." Oliver leaned forward and laid his head on his wife's chest, tears running down his cheeks at the thought that Grace might never get to see her little girl, that David would have to grow up without his twin.

Annie had never even seen her sister and had been persistently asking if she could come and see her mother. Annie's mood had grown surly most of the time and Oliver knew it was because she needed her mother. Elizabeth was wonderful and the staff adored Annie, but they weren't Grace. It wasn't the same.

Perhaps that was it, Oliver thought as he sat back up. Maybe Grace needed all of her family around her to know that they needed her. He needed to bring Annie and David to the hospital and even bring Maggie in to see her. Maybe that would do it.

When Elizabeth arrived for lunch that day, Oliver excitedly told her about his plan. Elizabeth understood his reasoning, but she was skeptical.

"And just how do you intend to get Annie and David in here?" she asked. "The doctor has told you that children aren't allowed."

"I don't give a damn about some stupid rule," Oliver snapped. "If this will help Grace, they won't have a choice but to allow it."

"Oliver, I'm not arguing with you that it might work," Elizabeth said. "Or that it wouldn't be good for everyone involved. But I don't think the doctors are just going to let you do what you want, no matter _who_ you are."

"Well, I'll just have to convince them, won't I?" he said, smug smile on his face. Elizabeth shook her head, hoping that he wouldn't be disappointed.

Oliver, however, did not get a chance to ask the doctor anything, as that afternoon, Grace's condition changed. And not for the better. As Oliver was sitting with her, her breath began to come in small pants and gasps, as if she couldn't get enough air into her lungs. He had bellowed into the hall for a nurse and was ushered very unceremoniously out the door as the nurse and doctor went to work on his wife. When they had finally come back out into the hall to tell him what was going on, the doctor had a very grim look on his face.

"What is it, what's wrong with her?" Oliver asked, as the doctor came out into the hall. The doctor sighed and ran a hand down his face.

"We don't know for sure," he replied. "But she's having trouble breathing." Oliver looked at him blankly. "We may be losing her." Oliver's vision swam and he felt his knees give way. The doctor grabbed his arm but Oliver leaned back against the wall and slumped to the floor. He couldn't process what he had just been told. How could this happen, now after all this time? She was supposed to be fine, she was supposed to be fine. He stared, unseeing, in front of him and vaguely heard the doctor's shout for a nurse.

"I'm sorry, Grace," he whispered, before everything went black.

* * *

><p>When Oliver awoke, he was in a chair in the hallway, the nurse wafting something under his nose. He coughed and sat up, trying to get away from the offending smell. As he became fully aware, everything came rushing back to him.<p>

"Grace," he said, jumping up, but the nurse put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down.

"Mrs. Warbucks is all right for now," the nurse said. "The doctor has stabilized her."

"I need to see her," Oliver said, trying to get up again.

"Mr. Warbucks, you need to relax for a moment," the nurse insisted. "You passed out."

"I don't care," Oliver said, pushing the nurse's hand off his shoulder. "I need to see my wife." He stood and stumbled back into the room. Grace still lay in the bed, but now she had an oxygen mask strapped to her face. He made his way to the bed and sat down, taking her hand in his and smoothing her hair back from her forehead. He kissed the back of her hand, tears threatening to fall once again, as the doctor stepped back into the room.

"We're going to run some tests," the doctor said. "See if we can figure out what happened." Oliver nodded, but did not take his eyes from Grace. "Mr. Warbucks," the doctor stopped clearing his throat. "We need to discuss the possibility that your wife may not make it."

"No," Oliver said flatly.

"Mr. Warbucks," the doctor protested.

"I said no," Oliver hissed. "Now run your damn tests and figure out what is wrong with my wife so you can fix it. But stop talking to me about her dying because that is **not** going to happen." The doctor looked at him for a moment, then sighed and nodded, leaving the room.

"Do you hear me Grace? It's not going to happen. You are **not** going to die." Oliver squeezed her hand and brought it to his lips once again. "You are not going to die," he repeated, as much to assure himself as Grace.

* * *

><p>To say Elizabeth was worried was an understatement. Oliver had not left the hospital for two days, his threat of calling the governor having convinced the doctor to just let him stay. Annie was a nervous wreck, used to having her father home with her for at least a few hours of the day, she knew that something was wrong. Elizabeth had urged Oliver to at least come home and speak to the girl, but he refused to leave Grace's side. She knew he wasn't eating much and doubted he had slept at all. He had all but stopped going down to the nursery to see Maggie. As she made her way up to Grace's room, Elizabeth knew she needed to do something.<p>

When she entered the room, Oliver was slumped in the chair next to Grace's bed, lightly snoring. Elizabeth sighed in relief that he was at least getting a little sleep. She approached Grace's bed from the other side. Her sister-in-law still wore the oxygen mask and her skin had an ashen tint to it. Elizabeth shook her head sadly, barely able to keep the tears at bay. She decided to pay a visit to her niece, wanting an update on her progress.

She was met by a nurse when she entered the small room next to the nursery.

"Oh, Mrs. Moretti, it's you," the nurse said. "I thought maybe Mr. Warbucks," the nurse trailed off. Elizabeth smiled indulgently.

"How is my niece today?" she asked and the nurse's expression turned serious.

"She's not doing well," the nurse admitted. "We're losing hope, I'm afraid." Elizabeth swallowed thickly and nodded.

"May I hold her?" she asked. "Please?" The nurse contemplated her for a moment, then nodded, leading Elizabeth to the sink to wash up.

"You can try and feed her if you like," the nurse said and Elizabeth nodded. She sat down in the rocking chair and waited while the nurse went and collected the baby. When the nurse placed Maggie in her arms, Elizabeth couldn't help but gasp. The baby was tiny, looking even smaller than she had been only a week ago when Elizabeth had held her last.

"Has she lost more weight?" Elizabeth asked and the nurse nodded sadly.

"Ever since Mr. Warbucks stopped coming, she's been eating even less than she was before. We've noticed a marked difference," the nurse said.

"I'll talk to him," Elizabeth said firmly, determined to get Oliver to see what was happening. She understood his fear about Grace, but he couldn't give up on Maggie in the process. The nurse handed her the bottle and Elizabeth began the difficult task of feeding her niece. When the baby refused to take anymore, Elizabeth put her up to her shoulder and rocked the little girl. The baby snuggled herself into Elizabeth's neck and tears ran down Elizabeth's cheeks at the thought that this sweet little girl might not make it.

"Oh, Grace," she whispered. "You've got to wake up. Your babies need you."

She left the nursery some time later and made her way back to Grace's room. Oliver was now awake and sitting on Grace's bed, holding her hand.

"Oliver, I need to talk to you," Elizabeth said as she entered the room.

"Elizabeth, when did you get here?" Oliver asked, surprised to see his sister.

"A little while ago," she responded. "You were sleeping when I got here, so I went and visited Maggie."

"Oh," Oliver said. "How is she?"

"She's not doing well, Oliver," Elizabeth said tiredly. "She's lost more weight and the nurse told me you haven't been there in two days."

"Has it been that long?" he asked distractedly. "Oh, well, I'll go down there this afternoon."

"Oliver, did you hear what I said?" Elizabeth asked. "Your daughter's condition is very serious." Oliver looked at her, but Elizabeth wasn't sure if he was really even seeing her or not. She studied his face and saw that his cheeks were sunken, he had dark circles under his eyes and he hadn't shaved in days. "Oliver, when was the last time you ate?"

"What?" he asked. "Oh, um, I'm not really sure."

"That's it," Elizabeth said. "You're coming home with me, right now." She stood and took his arm, pulling him to his feet. He stumbled after her for a moment, before he stopped and pulled away.

"No," he said. "I can't."

"Yes, you can and you will," Elizabeth said. "You are going to land in a bed right next to Grace if you keep this up. And then what good will you be to anyone?" Oliver stood looking at her, as if he were trying to process what she said and Elizabeth knew that if she didn't get him into a bed soon, he would be asleep on his feet. She towed him back to the chair next to Grace's bed and pushed him into it.

"Stay here," she commanded. "I'll be right back." Oliver merely nodded at her, his attention focused back on his wife. Elizabeth sighed and left the room, walked to the front desk and asked to use the telephone.

She called the house and spoke to her father, telling him to come to the hospital and bring the Asp and Punjab. There was a good chance they would have to carry Oliver bodily from the room. After her phone call, she went back to Grace's room where she found Oliver sitting in a stupor, just where she had left him. If she hadn't known better, she would have thought he was drunk by the way he barely reacted to anything around him.

The men arrived about fifteen minutes later and as she had suspected, it took all three of them to tow Oliver to the car, protesting vehemently the entire way. Henry agreed to stay with Grace and Elizabeth climbed into the back seat with her brother. He seemed to be more awake now and he glowered at her when she sat down.

"I hate you," he said and Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"You sound like a child, Oliver," Elizabeth replied. "Just one more indication that you need to go home and sleep and eat."

"If anything happens while I'm gone," Oliver began, but Elizabeth interrupted.

"Dad is there, he'll call if she wakes up," she said.

"I mean if anything happens for the worse," Oliver said, his eyes burning with fury now. "I'll never forgive you."

"And if you end up in the hospital because you've made yourself so ill from not eating and sleeping, I'd never forgive you," Elizabeth retorted, just as furious. "Since you won't take care of yourself, I guess it's up to me." The two stared at each other for a few moments before Oliver finally broke eye contact, looking out the window. Elizabeth could almost feel the rage radiating off of him, but she didn't really care at the moment. He was being a complete ass and she, for one, wasn't going to stand for it. She knew Grace, if she were here, would not either.

"You know Grace would tell you the same thing," Elizabeth said, more gently this time. "She would be infuriated that you were doing this to yourself." At the mention of his wife's name, Oliver visibly flinched and when he looked back at Elizabeth the rage had gone, replaced with grief so deep, Elizabeth instinctively reached for his hand. Oliver said nothing, just grasped hers and held on tightly and the two did not speak another word until they reached the house.

"Go upstairs and sleep, please," Elizabeth begged Oliver. He looked at her for a moment, then nodded and went up to his room. Elizabeth watched him go, hoping that he would indeed rest. Then she turned and went to find Cecile and her nephew.

* * *

><p>Oliver did, in fact, sleep, and woke up a few hours later, feeling marginally better. He showered and shaved, something else he hadn't done for the two days he had been at the hospital, and decided to go and get something to eat. When he reached the main floor, he realized that everyone was already in the dining room, it was later than he thought. He made his way there and as he crossed the threshold, Annie squealed and jumped from her seat. She ran to him and he picked her up, cuddling her close.<p>

"I'm sorry I haven't been here," Oliver said quietly, but Annie just nodded, her head on his shoulder. Oliver sat down with his daughter in his lap and simply held her for a few minutes. When she finally sat up and looked at him, he saw realization and pain on her face, as if she knew exactly why he had not been home. He hugged her again and then set her on the floor and she made her way back to her own chair, picking up her fork and continuing to eat, but without the relish she normally attacked her food with. He felt much the same and his actions echoed hers, mechanically bringing his fork to his lips and chewing, before doing the same with another bite. He couldn't have said exactly what he ate, just that he did.

Just before Mrs. Pugh was to bring out dessert, Drake rushed into the room. He had a wild look in his eyes and Oliver knew. He glanced at Elizabeth whose expression went from terrified to desolation in a matter of seconds. Annie looked up curiously, but when confronted with the faces of the adults, immediately put her head on the table and began to cry. Oliver felt as if he were moving in slow motion as he turned back to Drake.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice flat and emotionless.

"It's your father, sir," Drake said, trying to maintain his composure. "He says you should come back to the hospital immediately. All of you."


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N - Here it is, last chapter. I have alot to say, but I'll put it at the end so as not to keep you from the chapter. Tissue warning for this one, parts of it are quite angsty.**

* * *

><p>For a moment, with the exception of Annie's quiet crying, there was silence in the room as Drake's words faded away. Mrs. Pugh had come in with the dessert plates just as Drake had delivered his message and she stood, frozen, with the platter held in front of her, slowly tipping forward as the plates began to slide. Oliver looked at her and saw that the plates were about to slip off to the floor, but said nothing. His body seemed to have stop working, all except his head which continued to sweep around the room, taking in the faces of everyone present. No one else seemed able to move either, not even Drake, the most stoic of them all. It wasn't until the plates fell from the tray, the china splintering, as the pieces of cake upended frosting side first and splattered onto the floor, that anyone made a noise. Sandy, who had been lying under the table, only whined, instead of running to gobble up the spoils as he normally would have.<p>

But the small noise from the dog seemed to push Oliver into action more than anything else. He turned and looked at Drake, opening his mouth and then closing it again, repeating the action twice more before he could get any words out.

"Who?" he asked, so quietly he wasn't sure that Drake could hear him. Drake turned to him then, the man's face tortured, a look Oliver had never seen him wear before.

"B-both," he managed to stutter out and Elizabeth sucked in a breath so large and gasping, Oliver glanced at her to be sure that she was still breathing. Annie's head rose from the table at this one word and the terror in her eyes was like nothing that Oliver had ever seen, not even when she had been kidnapped and hanging from the railroad bridge. Mrs. Pugh clutched at her heart, able to sink into a chair by the very nearest of margins, barely managing not to fall completely to the floor. For the briefest of seconds, Oliver hung his head in agony. And then he stood, pulling Elizabeth from her chair and looking to Annie and Mrs. Pugh.

"Let's go," he said and before anyone could react, he strode from the room.

* * *

><p>Less than a minute later, all four of them, along with David, were in the cars, heading to the hospital. Oliver and Annie sat in silence, driven by the Asp. Elizabeth had David, along with Mrs. Pugh and Punjab, and they were following behind. Oliver looked at Annie again, surprised at the calmness on the little girl's face. It was shock, he supposed, or confusion about what exactly was happening. Oliver could not bring himself to say anything or do anything that might help his daughter, as he had no idea what that might be. All he could do was reach out and take her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. For the moment, it seemed to be enough as she squeezed back, continuing to look out the window.<p>

When they arrived at the hospital, Oliver led the way down the hall to Grace's room, his bodyguards following at the rear. He was stopped before he reached it by a rather harried-looking nurse.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Warbucks," the nurse said. "But the children aren't al-," but Oliver cut her off with a snarl, leaning in close to her face.

"My wife is dying, is she not?" he asked quietly so Annie would not hear. The nurse nodded. "Then her children **will** be in the room to say good-bye to her." The nurse seemed on the verge of arguing, but with a pitying look at Annie, she simply moved aside. As they approached the door, Oliver paused, taking in a shuddering breath. He looked back at Elizabeth who nodded, understanding what he wanted. She pulled Annie and Mrs. Pugh aside for a moment, as Oliver entered the room.

The doctor was there, examining Grace. Henry stood on the other side of the bed, lightly holding her hand. Oliver's heart clenched painfully and it was all he could do to hold back the roar of anguish he wanted to release. Henry looked up as Oliver shut the door behind him and quickly crossed the room.

"I'm sorry, son," he said quietly, putting a hand on Oliver's arm. Oliver simply nodded and took Henry's place at Grace's side. Oliver looked up expectantly at the doctor, who merely shook his head.

"I'm sorry, sir," the doctor said. "There's nothing else we can do. I don't think that she'll make it through the night."

"And my daughter?" Oliver managed to ask. The doctor shook his head once more. "She's just too weak, it happened at almost the same time as your wife, curiously enough." The doctor had a thoughtful expression on his face, as if he were trying to puzzle something out, but shook his head a moment later as if dismissing whatever thought he had been contemplating.

"I want her brought here," Oliver said, looking up at the doctor. "My daughter, I want her with her mother."

"I don't know if that's a good idea," the doctor said.

"Why not?" Oliver asked. "If she's going to, if they're both going to," he paused, swallowing down a sob.

"I suppose you're right," the doctor agreed. "I'll have the nurse bring her down."

"Thank you," Oliver said, sitting down on Grace's bed and taking her hand. "Dad, would you?" Oliver indicated the door with a nod.

"Of course," Henry replied and went into the hall to collect everyone else. They all shuffled into the room, except the Asp and Punjab, who stood in the hall on either side of the door, stoic guards to the grief going on inside. Annie clung to Elizabeth. Mrs. Pugh was holding David and she immediately crossed the room and handed him to Oliver. Mrs. Pugh took Grace's other hand and smoothed her hair from her brow, smiling down at her.

"Would you like a few minutes?" Oliver asked, but Mrs. Pugh merely shook her head, tears running down her face. She leaned forward and kissed Grace's forehead, squeezed her hand and then turned and abruptly left the room.

"Annie," Oliver called, but Annie held tighter to Elizabeth hiding her face in Elizabeth's side. Oliver rose and handed the baby to Henry, then approached his daughter. He squatted down in front of her and took her hand from Elizabeth's waist. "Don't you want to see your mother?

Annie shook her head, looking as if she was trying to bury herself in Elizabeth. He managed to pry her away enough to pick her up and he took her back into the hall. Annie clung to him, much as she had to Elizabeth and Oliver rubbed her back and murmured soothingly to her.

"Annie, I don't know if your mother is ever going to wake up," he said quietly into the little girl's ear. "This might be your last chance to see her." While he appeared calm, inside Oliver was screaming. He shouldn't be saying these things, shouldn't have to tell his daughter that her mother was dying. His little girl shouldn't have to do this, shouldn't have to say good-bye. But Oliver could not give in to the rage that was burning inside. He had to make sure that Annie was all right, that was the most important thing now.

Annie hitched in a shaky breath and pulled back to look at Oliver. Her eyes swam with tears and her entire face was wet from her crying. Oliver fumbled in his pocket for his handkerchief and gently wiped her face.

"You don't have to say anything," Oliver said. "You can just hold her hand and give her a hug if you want to." Annie nodded and Oliver turned to carry her back into the room.

* * *

><p>When Oliver had left with Annie, Elizabeth turned to Grace. The tears were flowing freely down her cheeks and she did nothing to stop them. She took the other woman's hand, squeezing it as she studied her sister-in-law. She could hear the labored breaths Grace was taking and Elizabeth's heart contracted at the thought that Grace truly was going to leave them. Elizabeth had not known her for long, but she loved Grace as if she were her own sister. Grace had given her something that she never thought she would have again, her brother and ultimately her father as well. There were no words of gratitude powerful enough to thank her for that.<p>

"I promise you Grace," Elizabeth said. "I will take care of them, Oliver and the children. Frank and I, we'll move here to New York. They won't be alone." She leaned down and kissed Grace's cheek, just as Oliver and Annie came through the door. Annie took one look at Elizabeth and began crying again, although from the looks of it, she had never really stopped. Oliver set her down on the bed next to her mother and Annie sat motionless for a moment, then lay down and curled herself against Grace's side. Elizabeth pulled in a heaving sob and ran from the room. Henry turned to Oliver, handing the baby over and Oliver nodded as Henry followed Elizabeth.

Turning back to his wife, Oliver sat on the other side of the bed. Imitating the movement Elizabeth had made the previous week, he pulled Grace's arm gently from her side and laid David in the space he had created. He held the baby fast to her and took Annie's hand, so the four of them were connected. Now they just needed to wait for Maggie and their family would be complete.

The irony of that was not lost on Oliver. The five of them had never been in a room together since the babies were born and now it was only because they were losing two of them that they were allowed to be at all. He once again fought back the rage and anguish that threatened to make its appearance known. There would be time for that later when he was alone.

Alone. Five little letters that terrified Oliver to his very core. The fact that he and Grace had been together for less than a year was incongruous to the fact that he felt as if she had always been there, that they had always been together. He couldn't imagine life without her. But, it seemed that after the vast amount of his life he had spent alone, fate was determined that he keep it that way. Not that he would be completely alone. He would have his children. But there would never be another Grace for him. No one could ever take her place, of that he was certain.

He looked at David, who lay awake, but quiet, as if he sensed the gravity of the situation. His eyes, so like Grace's and his hair, the exact same shade as hers, meant that Oliver would have a piece of her with him forever. He smiled at his son who turned his head toward his mother, seeming to burrow into her side, as if searching for comfort.

Oliver looked to Annie, who was curled up on Grace's other side. Her eyes were closed, but Oliver could tell she wasn't sleeping. He knew she was probably saying her good-byes silently. He wondered what would happen now to his happy, exuberant daughter, once her mother left her. As close as Oliver was to Annie, he knew that Grace held a piece of her heart that no one else could touch. It was Grace who had rescued Annie from the orphanage, even if it had ultimately been Oliver that adopted her, Grace was the first one that had ever cared for Annie, the first one to love her. No matter how much Oliver loved his daughter, that bond was something he could never replace.

He softly stroked Annie's hair and she opened her eyes, giving him a wan smile. She tightened her grip on her mother's waist and sighed, tears making their way down her cheeks again. They sat this way for a few minutes more until a nurse came into the room with Maggie in her arms. Elizabeth and Henry followed behind.

"Elizabeth, can you take David please?" Oliver asked hoarsely, as if he hadn't used his voice in days.

"Of course," she said and came and picked the baby up. He whimpered a bit, as if knowing he was losing contact with his mother, so Elizabeth remained next to Grace. Oliver took Maggie gently from the nurse and gasped at the sight of his newborn daughter. She was deathly pale and so very, very small. Tears welled in his eyes at the thought that he had been the cause of some of this, neglecting her for the last two days as he had. Annie sat up to look at her and gasped as well.

"She's so tiny," Annie whispered and Oliver nodded.

"Yes, that she is," he replied quietly. He could hear her labored breathing, sounding much the same as Grace's. "Do you want to hold her?" he asked Annie. But Annie shook her head vehemently.

"She's too small, I might break her," Annie said. Oliver couldn't help but smile at this and he leaned forward and kissed Annie's forehead. And then they all fell silent, all lost in their own thoughts about the two people that they seemed about to lose. The adults took turns holding the babies and sitting with Grace. Annie didn't leave her mother's side and eventually Mrs. Pugh returned to the room as well. She cooed over Maggie for a few minutes, then sat in a chair at the foot of Grace's bed. The silent vigil went on well into the night until Oliver saw that Annie had actually fallen asleep. David was asleep as well, the nurse having brought a bottle down from the nursery for him a bit earlier.

"Dad," Oliver said. "I think that you should all go home. The children should be in bed." Henry nodded and Elizabeth and Mrs. Pugh stood. Elizabeth handed David off to Henry and Oliver gave her Maggie while he went to rouse Annie. She was disoriented when she first awoke, but when Oliver told her that it was time to go home, she immediately began to cry.

"No, I don't want to leave Mom," Annie wailed, awakening David who also began to cry. Henry began to shush him and Oliver picked up Annie, holding her to him.

"I'll be here with your mother and you can come back in the morning," Oliver said, knowing that there was a very good chance Grace would be gone by then. But he didn't relay these thoughts to Annie. She seemed to already know them herself though, as she opened her mouth to protest. "Please sweetheart, do as I ask," Oliver said quietly. Annie looked at him for a moment, then nodded, hugging him tightly around the neck once more. He returned the embrace, then set her down and she took Mrs. Pugh's hand. Oliver hugged the woman, who patted his cheek before she turned and left the room with Annie.

He then turned to Henry and kissed his son, who was now sleeping once more, and hugged his father, careful not to squish the baby between them. Henry clapped him on the back and Oliver was surprised to see tears in the older man's eyes when they stepped back from each other.

"Oliver," Henry rasped out, but Oliver just nodded.

"I know," he replied.

Henry left the room with David, leaving Elizabeth standing holding Maggie. She kissed the baby's tiny forehead and gently laid her at the end of Grace's bed. Then she stepped forward and pulled Oliver to her. He hugged her for a few moments, feeling her tears dampen his shoulder. He kissed her cheek and she looked up at him, the raw grief visible on her face.

"Do you want me to stay?" she asked and he knew she would if he asked.

"No," he replied, his voice a bit shaky. "I need you to look after Annie and David. I don't think Annie will want to be alone tonight." Elizabeth nodded and put a hand to his cheek.

"I'm so sorry, Oliver," she said. "I love you."

"Me too," he managed to reply. She smiled sadly at him as she left the room and when the door finally clicked shut, Oliver walked back to Grace's bed and picked Maggie up. He laid her on her mother's chest and then he climbed into bed beside them. He gently wrapped Grace's arm around Maggie and then covered it with his own, anchoring the baby between them. The misery that he had been suppressing all night finally made its appearance and Oliver began to sob as he lay next to his wife and daughter. Once he was spent, he propped himself up on one elbow and carefully lowered the oxygen mask from Grace's face. He kissed her softly on the lips before he put it back and then he lay back down to wait.

Oliver did not want to sleep, he didn't think that he could, but his exhaustion from the last few days along with the emotional duress of the last few hours overcame him. He slipped slowly into sleep and dreamed of Grace. She was chasing a little girl who looked to be 3 or 4 through the gardens in the backyard. The little girl was squealing in delight, her long blonde hair streaming out behind her. When she turned to look over her shoulder, Oliver saw that her eyes were the lightest shade of green. He smiled in his sleep and tightened his hold on Grace's arm. And as the bonds of sleep pulled him down further still, he did not feel the slight twitch of fingers against his arm, nor did he notice the slight change in the two other occupants in the room.

Had he been aware, he may have noticed that their breathing became slightly less labored. And he might also have noticed that the color in their faces became slightly less pale. He may have seen the way the baby's mouth began to work as if she were drinking a bottle and felt the way her mother's arm tightened ever so slightly around her. But Oliver, exhausted as he was, noticed none of these things and instead, slumbered on, dreaming his wonderful dreams of Grace.

* * *

><p>Oliver shifted in his sleep, shrugging a shoulder against something that was tickling his neck. He mumbled when the sensation didn't stop and shrugged a shoulder up again. He was stuck in that place between sleep and wakefulness, his body aware, but his mind still sluggish. He could feel something against his arm, something that was moving slightly and the same soft movement at his neck. Slowly, the rest of his senses seemed to awaken. He heard a soft mewling sound which caused him to frown in confusion. As he opened his eyes, he saw that it was nearing dawn, the sky outside still gray, but starting to lighten.<p>

He lay still for a moment, closing his eyes again and straining to hear the sound and then there it was. It seemed to be coming from, but no, that couldn't be. Perhaps he was still dreaming. Oliver froze, afraid that moving would break the spell of the dream and bring him crashing back into the tragedy that was his reality. But then he felt the movement at his neck again and heard the sound once more.

He carefully opened his eyes and looked at Maggie. She was wriggling in her blankets and the sounds were coming from her. He took in a breath and held it, staring at the baby who just hours ago he was certain would not make it through the night. She continued to move and fuss and Oliver could not help the tears that sprang to his eyes. And then he felt the tickling at his neck again.

He slowly turned his head, looking out of the corner of his eye and saw Grace's hand on his shoulder, her fingers poking at his neck. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then opened them and looked again. Grace's hand was still there. And then he realized that Maggie was not the only one making noises. He turned and lifted his head to look at Grace's face. The oxygen mask which covered her mouth and nose was moving, as if she were opening and closing her mouth.

With a shaking hand, Oliver reached toward her and lifted the mask away. Her mouth was indeed moving, but if she was speaking, it was so quiet that Oliver couldn't hear her. He shifted himself up onto an elbow, being careful to keep his other arm around Maggie and got closer to Grace's face. Her eyes were closed, but she was definitely trying to say something. Oliver put his ear close to her mouth and waited. The next time Maggie made a noise, Grace poked him again.

"Ba-, O'ver, up, ba-" she mumbled and Oliver realized she was trying to wake him up to tend to the baby. He stared at his wife and saw that she had a bit of color back in her cheeks and when he listened to her breathing, it sounded deep and even. He glanced at Maggie and noticed the same about her. Oliver pulled the mask back on Grace's face and then covered his eyes with his free hand, the tears coming in earnest now.

He was still unsure if he was awake or this was all just a dream. He knew he should get up and find the doctor or a nurse, but he didn't want to move. He didn't want to break whatever spell they all happened to be under. But when Maggie let out a louder cry, he could no longer ignore her and he sat up. He picked her up and saw that she too was nowhere near as pale as she had been earlier. He also noticed that her mouth was working as if she wanted to eat. Oliver gently cradled the baby to him, his tears returning and falling gently down onto Maggie's blanket. And then Grace poked at him again, in the side this time.

He looked over at her and her eyes were open, those beautiful deep blue eyes that Oliver never thought he would see again. She fumbled at the mask on her face, but Oliver took her hand in his and shook his head. He tried to speak, but couldn't manage it, all he could do was smile and sob. Grace looked at him, confused, and he just leaned forward and kissed her forehead, his breath hitching as he rested his forehead against hers. She slowly brought a hand to his face and laid it against his cheek. He turned and kissed her palm and she let her hand drop back to her side.

"I need to," Oliver pulled in a breath, trying to get himself under control. "I need to get the doctor." Grace nodded, her eyes closing again and Oliver's heart stopped for a moment. But no, her breathing was still steady and even, her cheeks still tinged pink. Oliver stood and tried to soothe Maggie, who was getting a bit louder in her protests, and then walked to the door of the room. He opened it and looked out, calling to a nurse who was coming down the hall.

"Please," he said, tears still running down his face. "Please, my wife." The nurse crossed the hall to him and misunderstanding, put a hand to his arm, her face sympathetic.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Warbucks," she said solemnly.

"No, no, you don't understand," he said, shaking his head. "Please, just, please." He took the nurse's arm and brought her into the room. The nurse, still assuming the worst, went to Grace's bed and as she leaned down to take the mask from Grace's face, Grace's eyes opened. The nurse gasped and jumped back a step, looking at Oliver. At that moment, Maggie let out a rather loud cry.

"And, the baby?" the nurse asked, still in obvious shock.

"I think she's hungry," Oliver said, laughing and crying all at once.

"I can't believe," the nurse said, bringing a hand to her chest. "I mean, I don't," she broke off, unable to articulate how she felt about the situation.

"Yes, I know," Oliver said, smiling.

"Let me just get the doctor," the nurse said, finally recovering from her shock and bustling from the room.

Oliver crossed back to the bed and sat down next to Grace. She was fumbling with the mask again and Oliver helped her to pull it down. She was still groggy and disoriented, but she was very concerned about Maggie.

"Ol'ver," she said. "Baby, she's hun-, hungry." Oliver smiled through his tears and leaned down and kissed his wife.

"I know, sweetheart, I know," he said. "The doctor is coming." She looked up at him then, seeing the tears on his face and frowning in confusion. She reached up a hand and brushed at his cheek.

"Why," she said, her voice breaking from the weeks of disuse. She tried to clear her throat without much success. "Why are you, why are you crying?" Oliver just shook his head and picked up her hand, bringing it to his lips. He kissed her fingertips and her palm, the back of her hand and her wrist. He wanted to gather her up in his arms and never let her go again, but he knew the doctor needed to examine her and he really needed to feed Maggie.

Seconds later, the doctor ran into the room, a look of incredulousness on his face. The nurse followed shortly behind, a bottle in her hand which she gave to Oliver. He sat down in the chair next to Grace's bed and began to feed his daughter while the doctor began to examine Grace. To Oliver's amazement, Maggie took the bottle immediately and ate for longer than she ever had, before spitting the bottle out and twisting away. But when Oliver put it back in her mouth, she took it willingly, continuing to eat until the bottle was almost completely gone. Oliver brought her to his shoulder and she let out a small burp, then closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

The doctor had finished looking Grace over and turned to Oliver, wide smile on his face.

"Well Mr. Warbucks, it looks like you've gotten your miracle," he said and Oliver held his breath. "Your wife seems to be fine and your daughter looks to be doing better as well." Oliver let his breath out in a loud whoosh.

"But what," he paused, trying to collect himself. "I don't understand. What? How?" But the doctor just shook his head.

"I am not entirely sure either," he said. "Sometimes things happen that even I can't explain. We will want to run a few tests, but I think those can wait for just a bit." He smiled at Oliver and gestured to the bed, where Grace was now sitting in a semi-reclined position, the mask gone from her face. Oliver immediately stood and went to her side.

"I'll be back later," the doctor said, smiling at the two of them again.

"Thank you," Oliver said and the doctor nodded and then left the room. Oliver sat down on the bed and looked at his wife. She still looked drawn and a bit pale, but she smiled at him and Oliver's heart soared. He picked up her hand and kissed it again and she motioned to Maggie.

"Let me hold her, please," her voice was cracked and raspy, but Oliver thought he had never heard such a beautiful sound. He gently handed the baby over and Grace snuggled Maggie to her, nuzzling her face with her nose as she had in the car after her birth. A sob caught in Oliver's throat as he looked on at the scene he thought he would never see. After a few moments, Grace looked at Oliver in puzzlement.

"What happened?" she asked. "The last thing I remember was talking to you about names for this little one."

"Her name is Margaret," he said, his voice cracking a bit. "Margaret Grace. Maggie." Grace looked up at him, her brow furrowed.

"But I thought you didn't like Margaret," Grace said. "And why is her middle name Grace? Why not Ellen?"

"It's a very, very long story," Oliver said, brushing a hand along her cheek. "A story that can wait, for now. All that matters is that you're all right. That you're both all right." Grace looked up at him and smiled and Oliver leaned in and kissed her.

"I need to go and call the house," he said, standing. "Will you be all right with her for a few minutes?"

"Of course, we'll be fine," Grace said, smiling at him again. Oliver kissed her one more time and walked to the door. He turned back, reluctant to leave them, as if they would disappear if he turned his back. Once he was in the hall, he turned back again, opening the door a crack and looking in at them, just to make sure they were still there. Then he turned and made his way to the desk to call home with the good news.

* * *

><p>Drake answered the phone when Oliver called and Oliver immediately asked for Elizabeth. She must have been very nearby for it was only a few seconds before she came on the line.<p>

"Oliver, what's happened?" Elizabeth asked, fear in her voice.

"It's Grace, she's," Oliver paused as the tears returned and he drew in a shaky breath.

"Oh, Oliver, oh no, oh no," Elizabeth began sobbing and Oliver almost cursed out loud at his stupidity.

"Elizabeth, no, listen to me," Oliver said, but Elizabeth continued to sob and then Oliver heard noises in the background. After a few seconds of trying to get Elizabeth's attention, someone else came to the phone.

"Oliver," his father said. "Oliver, I'm so sorry son. Do you want us to come back to the hospital?"

"No, I mean yes, come back," Oliver began, then made a noise of frustration deep in his throat. "Dad, listen, I gave Elizabeth the wrong idea. Grace, she's fine, she's going to be all right."

"She's what?" Henry asked, sure that he had misunderstood.

"Grace woke up this morning and she's going to be fine," Oliver was grinning widely now.

"But how? How is that possible?" Henry asked. Oliver began to laugh.

"I don't know and neither does the doctor," Oliver said. "But that doesn't matter, I don't care how it happened or why, just that it did."

"And Maggie?" Henry asked tentatively.

"She's doing much better as well, she's with Grace right now," Oliver said, his grin growing impossibly wider. And then he heard Henry talking to Elizabeth and Elizabeth was back on the phone. She was crying and laughing and Oliver could barely understand a word she was saying, but he laughed along all the same.

"Oh Oliver, I can't believe," Elizabeth said, taking in a breath.

"I know," he replied. "Just come, please just come and bring Annie and David."

"Of course, we'll be there as soon as we can," Elizabeth said and she hung up the phone. Oliver smiled and walked back to Grace's room.

* * *

><p>Grace was still holding Maggie and murmuring softly to her as Oliver walked back into the room. He stood in the doorway watching the two of them, his heart clenching at the thought that a mere eight hours ago, he thought he would lose them both. His eyes filled once again at the thought and he sniffed quietly, but Grace glanced up at the noise. Her expression instantly turned from happiness to concern as she watched her husband make his way slowly to the bed. When he sat down and took her hand, giving her a watery smile, she looked at him anxiously.<p>

"Oliver, please tell me what's going on," she said. "Why is it that whenever you look at me, you look as if you never expected me to be sitting here?"

"Because I didn't," he said quietly, rubbing small circles with his thumb on the back of her hand.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, completely confused.

"Grace, last night," Oliver stopped and cleared his throat. "Last night the doctor told us that you probably wouldn't see another morning. You or Maggie." Grace stared at him, her mouth hanging open. "You've been in the hospital for almost two weeks now, in a coma."

"Two weeks?" Grace asked, flabbergasted. Oliver merely nodded and proceeded to tell Grace all that had happened since she had given birth in the back of the car. When he finished, she looked up at him with tears in her own eyes.

"And we almost lost Maggie too?" she asked, the tears beginning to roll down her cheeks.

"Yes," Oliver said. "And I don't think she's out of the woods just yet. She's still awfully small, Grace." Grace looked down at her tiny daughter and held her more tightly. Small though she was, Grace knew she was a fighter. She had fought her way back to them after all, Grace wasn't about to let her give up now.

"She'll be all right," Grace said with conviction. "We're both here to take care of her now. She'll be fine." Before Oliver could say anything, there was a commotion in the hall. He looked up as Annie burst through the door. She stopped in her tracks, frozen at the sight of Grace sitting up in the bed. Oliver reached forward and gently took Maggie from Grace's arms and then turned to Annie and nodded. Annie took a slow step forward and then another before she stopped again. Grace smiled and held out her arms and Annie studied her for a second and then ran, scrambling up onto the bed and flinging herself into Grace's arms, sobbing. Grace pulled the girl onto her lap and rubbed her back, kissing her head and murmuring soothing words to her. Annie wound her arms around Grace's neck and held on tightly, her eyes shut, but tears still leaking from them.

Oliver turned as Elizabeth came through the door holding David. She was followed by Henry and Mrs. Pugh. Helen took one look at Grace and Annie on the bed and she slumped back. She would have fallen to the floor had Henry not been there to catch her. Grace gasped and Oliver strode forward, taking Helen's arm in his free hand and helping Henry get her into a chair. She woke a minute later and looked at Grace again. Grace reached out a hand to her and Helen rose and walked to the bed, grasping Grace's hand in both of her own and squeezing tightly. Grace smiled and Helen nodded and there was nothing that needed to be said.

Elizabeth slowly approached the bed, still carrying David in her arms. Her own tears were flowing freely down her cheeks as she studied her sister-in-law. Grace's color was slowly returning and she obviously had no problems breathing anymore. As Elizabeth glanced back at Maggie, she saw that the baby also seemed to have made the same recovery, her cheeks and lips were pinkening and there was no sign of the labored breath that she had seen just the day before. It was nothing short of a miracle, Elizabeth thought, but then again, the bond between a mother and her child was a very powerful thing.

Elizabeth thought back to Oliver's suggestion a few days before, that he bring Annie and David to the hospital so Grace would know her family needed her. She supposed that he had been right, that having all of them here the night before had helped bring Grace back to them. Although, a part of her suspected that it was the separation from Grace that had kept Maggie in such a state of limbo and she wondered if it hadn't been the same for Grace. That having the baby near to her she somehow knew that she was needed, that she alone was the one that could bring her little girl back.

Perhaps, Elizabeth thought, perhaps it was the same as the mother who awoke in the middle of the night knowing something was wrong before her baby ever made a sound. Perhaps it was like the mother who instinctively reached for her child, knowing he was going to fall before he had even tripped in the first place. Perhaps it was the same as knowing your child was up to something, without even having to look at or hear them. Perhaps it was that intuition, that just "knowing" that could never really be explained, but that mothers possessed all the same. But regardless, it didn't really matter how it had happened, because Grace was back with them and little Maggie looked like she was well on her way too.

Elizabeth sat down on the edge of the bed and smiled at Grace. Annie had calmed somewhat, but still had a death grip on the front of her mother's gown, so Grace merely shifted Annie to one side, keeping an arm wrapped around her. She held out the other to Elizabeth and Elizabeth placed David into it. Grace smiled at her son and kissed his forehead, then turned and kissed Annie's as well. This seemed to break Annie's silence, for she began to chatter to her mother all about David and his daily schedule and habits. Grace smiled widely as Annie proudly discussed her new brother. After a few minutes, Grace looked over Annie's head to Elizabeth and mouthed a silent "thank you". The tears returned and Elizabeth simply nodded as Oliver stepped behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. Mrs. Pugh and Henry had moved to the chairs at the foot of Grace's bed and as Annie's chatter died away, they all just sat in comfortable silence, each thinking how very lucky they were.

* * *

><p>It was a few hours later, when everyone had left and Maggie had been taken back to the nursery for a bath and a nap that Oliver finally had Grace to himself. She was tiring, he could see, but that was all right. He was content to hold her hand and just look at her. She smiled at him, squeezing his hand and then yawned.<p>

"You should get some rest," Oliver said, returning her smile.

"From what you've said I've been doing nothing but resting," Grace returned.

"Yes, I suppose that's true," Oliver chuckled. "But still, I don't want you to wear yourself out."

"All right, I'll rest," Grace agreed. "On one condition."

"And what's that?" Oliver asked, a twinkle in his eye.

"That you give me a proper hello," she replied. "After all, I have been asleep for almost two weeks."

"I think I can oblige," Oliver said and he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to hers. The kiss began slowly and lightly, Oliver didn't intend for it to go too far, but then Grace's arms were around his neck and he found one of his hands in her hair, the other at her waist. He deepened the kiss and he felt as if he were drowning in her. He poured all of the grief from the last two weeks and all of the joy of the day and all of the love he had always felt for her into that one kiss. He pulled her to him, clinging to her even as he continued to kiss her and when he finally released her, they were both breathless.

"Well," she said, still panting. "I think I might need that oxygen mask again." And then Oliver began to laugh and shortly after Grace joined in. He hugged her as they laughed until they were spent. And then he laid her back against her pillows and kissed her softly one more time.

"Rest now," he said, twining her fingers with his. "I'll be here when you wake up."

"Promise?" she asked.

"Always," he replied. "Forever."

* * *

><p><strong>Two months later<strong>

Grace stood in the nursery, gathering diapers and extra clothes, bottles and blankets for the outing they were about to go on. The babies' first picnic in the park. Now ten weeks old, the two were alert and smiling, and had everyone in the house wrapped around their little fingers. Maggie had grown almost as big as her brother and seemed to have no ill-effects from her less than auspicious beginning.

As Grace pulled out the two sweater sets she had made for the babies, she wondered again about her time in the hospital. After she had awoken, the doctors had run more tests and had found nothing wrong with her. No one could explain just why she had taken so long to wake up or why she had given them all the scare that she had. Maggie's decline was easier to understand, but no one could explain her near miraculous recovery. Well, Grace thought, there was no "near" about it, it was miraculous, that was certain. Elizabeth had told Grace her suspicions and Grace supposed it was as good a reason as any. Sometimes at night when she dreamed, Grace came very close to grasping some of those memories from her time away, as she liked to call it, but they always seemed to slip from her grasp as she awoke. She supposed she would never really know how it had happened.

The thought of Elizabeth brought a smile to her face. She and Frank had decided to move to New York after all, the few visits a year not enough for Elizabeth now that she had found her family once again. Frank had gotten a job teaching at Annie and Molly's school. All six of the children would be attending the school in the fall, the four Moretti children able to attend for free as a perk of Frank's job. Henry had been overjoyed by this news as well. He had stayed to help Oliver with the children even after Grace had returned home from the hospital. They had offered him a permanent room in the house, but he preferred his quiet cabin in the woods, with frequent visits into the city to see his grandchildren. Grace thought that he just might reconsider their offer by next week, however. Frank and Elizabeth and the children were coming to New York for the weekend to look for a house and the children were going to remain behind at the mansion for the summer while their parents packed up the house in Boston. Grace smiled at the thought of the house being full of children as she had always wanted and brought a hand absent-mindedly to her belly.

Oliver had told her about the operation a few days after she had awoken from her coma. The fact that she would never be able to bear another child had devastated her and she had sunk into despair for quite a few days afterward. It was only the constant presence of Maggie in her room that kept her from being buried by it all together. It was only when she thought that, without it, she wouldn't have been here to care for her children at all, that Grace came back to herself. It still upset her whenever she thought about it, but as Oliver had said, they could always adopt again if they wanted to. There were always children that needed homes and parents to love them. And, Grace knew, they were already so very lucky to have the three beautiful children that they did.

As she folded diapers and put them into the babies' bag, she heard Oliver come up behind her. She smiled as he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. She continued to pack the babies' bag, but as Oliver kissed her behind the ear, she hissed in a breath and turned to face him. He kissed her deeply and she felt the familiar flutter in her stomach she always got when he kissed her like this. As she pulled back from him, he smiled knowingly and she rolled her eyes.

"So, how was your doctor's appointment this morning?" he asked, mischievous glint in his eye. She bit back a grin, knowing why he was asking, and decided to tease him just a bit. Putting a disappointed expression on her face, she sighed.

"He wants to see me again, next month," she said, not meeting Oliver's gaze.

"Another month?" Oliver asked, clearly not liking what he was hearing. Grace simply nodded. "Why what's wrong?"

"Nothing, as far as he said anyway," Grace replied, shrugging her shoulders. "I just have to go back again next month."

"Grace, tell me exactly what he said," Oliver requested, pulling her more tightly to him. Grace bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing and did not make eye contact with him, knowing she'd never be able to keep up the charade if she did.

"He said that everything had healed as it should and that everything seemed to be fine. And then he said he would see me in another month," she paused and did look up at Oliver now, whose brow was furrowed, clearly trying to reconcile the first sentence with the need for another check-up. Grace laughed inwardly and then said rather nonchalantly, "Oh and did I mention that he said I could go back to all my regular activities?"

Oliver turned his head sharply at this, looking her in the eye. She began to chuckle then and without saying another word, kissed his jaw and then his neck. He shuddered and gripped her tighter.

"All your regular activities?" he managed to ask, as Grace continued to kiss her way down his jaw. She stopped then and took his face in her hands, looking at him with intensity.

"_All_ my activities," Grace said and Oliver simply stared at her for a moment, before crashing his mouth to hers and kissing her. She began to go weak in the knees, but managed to pull back from him for a moment. "The children?" she gasped out.

"With Jack and Cecile, busy," he said, as he kissed her again, one hand at her waist, holding her firmly to him and the other running lightly up her back to the buttons on her dress.

"The picnic?" Grace said, moaning quietly as he grazed her neck with his lips.

"Plenty of time," he said, as he bent and picked her up, carrying her through the nursery and into their bedroom and laying her on their bed. As he crawled in beside her, she put a hand to his cheek and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"I love you," she said, as she stared into his eyes. He bent down and kissed her, so gently she thought she would melt.

"Forever and always," he replied and then kissed her again.

The End

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Always knew it would be a happily ever after! Sorry for torturing you all for awhile there. ;)**

**When I wrote my first story, Maybe, it began as a long one-shot, or maybe a 2 or 3 chapter story. When I decided to post it, I never imagined it would grow to 8 chapters. And when I first had a few threads of an idea for this story, I never imagined it would end up to be more than 150,000 words and 28 chapters. It took so many twists that I never expected and at times took on a life of its own. But I enjoyed writing it very much.**

**I want to thank everyone who has read, alerted, and put this story on their favorites list. Honestly, the favorites thing awes and humbles me and I am so very grateful to all who have done that. And I especially want to thank all those that reviewed. You don't know how happy I was every time I opened my emails and saw a review notification there. I know that many authors say this, but it's true, it did make me want to continue to write, as well as put a huge grin on my face. There are a few of you that reviewed almost every single chapter and to you I say an extra thank you, thank you and thank you again.**

**As of now, I have no more ideas for Annie stories. I do have a few Harry Potter ideas running around in my head. One in particular has been shouting extra loudly lately and I have actually begun writing a bit of it. I am going to do this one differently, however, and write the entire thing before I begin posting it. The weekly posting schedule that I put myself under for this story seemed to work out for the most part, but I have been neglecting many house projects around here as a result. Therefore, I need to be able to take care of those while I write. I don't like to let things go too long between updates, so writing the story first is the way I intend to go. If you are interested, put me on author alert and you'll get an email when I start posting.**

**And since this note has now become entirely too long, I'll just say thank you once again. I told my best friend today that after all of this I am actually starting to think of myself as a writer now and that is because of this experience and all of you. :) **


End file.
